Hunger
by MelonMochi
Summary: (au/ooc/amaiXrin) Amaimon's demon heart is stolen, leaving him without memories and with a mind ripped in two. While searching for the thief, Mephisto leaves him in the care of the Okumura twins. But is the loss of his memories a curse or a blessing in disguise? And can Rin save him before the unhindered demon in his shattered psyche destroys him?
1. Chapter 1

**Blue Exorcist belongs to Katou Kazue and Co.  
**

**Author's Note:** Hi there! I don't know much about demon hearts and whether or not the demon can live without it, but for the sake of the story let's pretend they can. This takes place after the camping trip while Rin is learning to control his powers. And don't worry, this is one of the few times you see Bast; the majority of the story is focused on Amai and Rin. Also, and I think this goes without saying, but Amai is going to be incredibly out of character after this first chap.

Some of you who are familiar with my work may notice that the layout is a bit different. I wanted to try switching character PoVs in the middle of a chapter and decided to do a different layout altogether, so hopefully it looks ok. Anyway, enjoy and please review if you want more!

* * *

**Chapter One  
****. . .  
**_Always Pay Your Debts_

* * *

**Amaimon studied the building from** a distance, rolling a blue raspberry lollipop around in his mouth. It had been a warehouse before it was a nightclub, with large windows darkened by spray paint, a flashing neon sign precariously perched on the edge of the flat roof, annoying, muffled bass, and a long line of young, raucous humans. Normally, the king of earth would have avoided such a disgusting, crowded place, but he owed Bast a favor, and the man was widely known for following through with his threats, no matter how impossible they might seem.

He stood and raised his eyes to the sign again, a group of twisting, misshapen lights that spelled out the club's name: _The Demon's Horns_.

Amaimon wasn't sure whether Bast was trying to spite him or if he was just _that_ stupid—though he assumed the latter. He snorted to himself at the thought and spat out the stick, clearing the ruined building before him in a single leap. The demon landed lightly and walked up to a burly man in a black outfit blocking the entrance of the club.

As a 'special guest' of the owner, he didn't have to wait in line, not that he would if he wasn't given a VIP card; the line for the nightclub seemed endless at this hour, with scantily clad humans sweating in the humid, fall weather and screaming with laughter. They were insufferable and he didn't have enough patience to wait with them.

He grimaced when he entered, his senses immediately disorientated by the overpowering music and intense, flickering lights.

A thin fog from dry ice and smoke machines made the dance floor appear as if it were a part of a dream, a hazy atmosphere of colliding bodies. The bright, flashing colors hurt his eyes, the music pounded in his head, and the people swayed and spun around him. Everywhere he looked, humans were dressed in gaudy costumes meant to look like monsters: vampires, zombies, skeletons, demons, and everything in between. Most of the dancers eyed Amaimon as he passed—some with interest, some with distrust, and some with lust—but he ignored them all. It took him a while to learn how to move where he wanted, to weave and dodge and shimmy through the packed crowd. Eventually, he made it to the other side of the room, and was allowed up the stairs to Bast's lounge after showing another brusque man in a black shirt his VIP card.

The music faded to an annoying, pulsating beat in the background. No one looked up as he entered, too busy kissing or drinking or sleeping to notice his presence. The second floor was dimly lit by scarcely placed candles befitting the gothic décor. Dark couches were accentuated by pillows meant to look like gore, wine glasses shaped like skulls decorated the table, and the walls were covered with distasteful glow-in-the-dark stickers: fangs, bats, coffins, crosses, wings, and even cartoon devils. _This_ was why he hated humans-turned-vampire—they were always so cocky about it, like they were some superior species instead of a weak, bastardized version of a demon.

Amaimon had to show his card to another man in a black shirt to get him to move and open the door to Bast's office. Two women exited as he did, one dragging the other; his latest victim, most likely. He followed the demon inside, closed the door behind them, and stood in front of it with crossed arms and an expression that fell somewhere between a grimace and a snarl. Bast was picking out a wine bottle from behind his desk, dressed finely in his usual outfit: red vest over a white, collared shirt, black pants, and that eerie, pulsating, crimson jewel at his throat. His black hair was styled in a slight mohawk, leaning to one side of his face, tips fading delicately to a light shade of gray.

His office was, thankfully, decorated much more plainly than the outside lounge. A pair of lavish, plush chairs sat across from his large, polished desk, and behind that was a bar that extended the entire length of the wall. There was only one window off to the side, covered by thick, black curtains. Bast, like all vampires, covered his windows and slept during the day to avoid the sunlight's damaging effects on his body—making a nightclub the perfect hiding place. No one would suspect a prudent club manager to be a demon, especially when he didn't leave behind bite marks.

Two holes in the neck was the trademark of normal vampires, but Bast wasn't, by any stretched definition of the word, normal. The man deemed himself a _psychic_ vampire—a demon that fed off the energy released by specific emotions as though they were blood. His abilities didn't end there, however—he could manipulate vulnerable humans and demons alike, steering their thoughts and making them more agreeable or convincing them to obey without question.

Amaimon didn't know how to fight that, and his uncertainty put him on edge, though he hid it behind his mask of animosity incredibly well.

Bast gave the demon a wide, toothy grin when he noticed him, teeth as straight as a human's. "Ah, there he is! How are you, my friend?" His voice was lofty, British accent thick and fake. He placed the wine bottle on his desk and gestured to the chairs. "Please, have a seat. Would you like something to drink?"

Amaimon sat across from him in one of the posh, burgundy chairs. "Did our meeting have to be _here_?"

**. . .**

Bast poured dark red wine into one of the skull glasses, careful to keep his countenance composed. "I know this isn't an ideal location for you, but we're busy this time of year and I can't abandon my responsibilities here to seek you out. Besides, you like traveling, don't you, Amaimon?" He didn't respond, staring with his trademark stoic expression. "Well, it doesn't matter; you're here now." He slid the cup across his desk to Amaimon and poured the remaining liquid into his jeweled chalice.

Manticore venom was a curious thing—it was largely ineffective on its own, but combined with wine...

The demon picked it up and drank from it without a second thought, dark droplets trickling down from the corners of his mouth. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Ah, yes!" Bast exclaimed as though he had forgotten. "Vampires are cousins to demons, are we not?" No response. "Family members are supposed to help each other and, right now, I need _your_ help."

"And if I don't want to help you?"

He chuckled darkly and leaned back in his chair, swirling the drink around in his cup. "That would be a shame, Amaimon," he dragged out the words menacingly. "I seem to remember _you_ asked a favor from _me_ some time ago, correct?" Amaimon narrowed his eyes. "A favor you have yet to repay," he paused to shake his head in disdain. "It would be _so_ embarrassing if any of your brothers found out, wouldn't it?"

Bast waited for his response, studying Amaimon carefully in the cold, dim candle light of the room. He was unnerved by his words—that much was certain—and it was all he needed. He reached out with his mind, using the familiar powers of his demonic blood, and pulled on the demon's emotions. Bast fed from his courage and determination, draining him until only apprehension and fear remained. He smiled to himself when the demon king shifted uncomfortably.

Amaimon didn't say anything for a few moments, debating his options. "What do you want?"

"Money," he said mildly. "One of my powerful friends has an exquisite item I would like to own."

The vampire was a collector. He liked to own rare, expensive trinkets from different cultures around the world. Sometimes he purchased these things and sometimes he stole them. But, oftentimes, he used other demons to do his dirty work, offering to give them money or food...or promising to keep their secrets.

He _tsk_ed, growing even more anxious to the vampire's delight. "I don't have any money. Go ask Mephisto."

Bast continued, speaking as though he didn't hear the interruption. "This man is very fond of the occult and demonic relics. He promised to trade if I can give him something of equal value." He placed the chalice down and stood, towering over him, draining his confidence more and more. Amaimon tensed, digging his fingertips into the plush fabric of the chair. "It has come to my attention that _you_ have exactly what I'm looking for."

"I don't have anything to give you," he spat, struggling to smother the waver in his voice.

"It's a flower." There was an icy stillness in Bast's words that he knew would send chills down the demon's spine. "It's big and beautiful with light green petals around an incandescent, red center..." Amaimon stood abruptly, knocking the chair back. Bast chuckled lightly, undaunted and almost inordinately pleased by his outburst. He nodded to the man standing guard behind him.

**. . .**

The man in the black shirt grabbed him from behind. Amaimon ducked low, throwing him over his back. Two more men entered, but they posed no threat to him. Exhilaration took hold of him at the thought of a game with his new human playmates. The demon kicked hard as one lunged at him, sending him sprawling to the floor in pain. He was grabbed again, around the waist, but he wiggled free, twisting the man's arm until a satisfying _crack_echoed throughout the room. It all happened in less than a minute.

With three writhing humans beneath him, Amaimon turned to Bast, anger plain on his face.

He stepped back and raised his hands in defense. "Whoa, easy there, king of earth. Let's just calm down." He picked up the wine bottle. "Would you like another drink?" Amaimon growled and the bottle shattered. Bast flinched, cursing loudly as a piece of glass embedded itself into his palm, and stumbled back.

He launched himself at the vampire, intending to snap his neck and be done with this mess. Bast stepped aside and landed a swift kick to his abdomen. The drugged wine was beginning to make him sluggish and dizzy, and he staggered back, coughing. He could taste it in the back of his throat, sickly sweet. A pillar of earth and stone burst through the window on Bast's left, but stopped just before hitting him.

"You don't want to fight me, Amaimon," Bast mocked.

"You're right. Killing you will be much more fun."

"I don't think so." He snapped his fingers and a loud _pop_ came from behind Amaimon.

He instantly realized he was shot in the leg. It wasn't a normal bullet—those he could ignore—it was a silver bullet used commonly by exorcists. The wound burned intensely, as if a searing fire had consumed his entire calf. He fell to his knees and the rock retreated.

Bast howled with laughter. "Idiot! Even _demon kings_ aren't immune to me! You're afraid, aren't you? I can see your legs trembling!" The excitement in his voice made him drop his fake accent. He grabbed the demon by the collar of his striped dress shirt and lifted him off his feet. "You can't beat me, earth king. Give me your heart and I promise I won't hurt you."

Amaimon spat in his face. "Mephisto will find you." Bast frowned and the demon felt a stab of pleasure at surprising him. "And, when he does, he'll kill you."

He gritted his teeth in anger and failed to compose himself. "I don't care! Hand it over!"

The demon grunted as his heart began to emerge against his will. He wasn't strong enough to fight Bast, but he could slow the process. "B-Big brother will hunt you," he gasped. "You... You're afraid of him, and he knows it."

"Shut up!" Outraged, Bast whirled and slammed him hard against the desk, holding the injured demon down with one hand. He grabbed the heart and pulled. It was such a weird sensation: Amaimon could feel his fingertips digging into the soft petals, tugging on the center where they connected, and ripping it from his chest.

He screamed, finally wordless in his anguish, but someone wrapped a cloth around his open mouth from above, muffling his cries. Two other people grabbed his wrists and, between the agony of having his heart torn from him and the exhaustion of being mentally drained, Amaimon couldn't fight back. He struggled against the darkness, digging his nails into his palm to keep conscious. But it was too much too quick, and he succumbed to the inevitable tide.

* * *

**. . .  
**_The Next Day_

* * *

Mephisto was frozen in place by feelings he could neither understand nor control. His little brother was strapped to a hospital bed in a comatose state, his face pale and haggard, his fringe stuck to his brow with sweat. He breathed slowly, and made no movements other than the steady rise and fall of his chest. "Amaimon, what happened to you?" There was no reproach in his voice—just concern. But his brother couldn't hear him, so it didn't really matter.

"He had his heart forcibly removed," the doctor answered him regardless, black tail swishing back and forth as he checked Amaimon's vitals again.

_I know that, you ungrateful beast._ Mephisto gritted his teeth to keep himself from snapping at the doctor. The draining effect of seeing his little brother so weak and helpless had left him feeling agitated. He let out a short sigh to release his irritation. "What now?"

"Ah, well..." The doctor hesitated, fidgeting with the too-long sleeves of his lab coat, tail curling toward his body as he tensed. One glance at the demon's expression sufficed to tell Mephisto that he would not like what he was about to hear. "Here's the thing: having one's heart removed like this is incredibly traumatic." He paused to scratch the fold of his nose and push his glasses up. "He'll be asleep until his body recovers from the physical damage. And, when he _does_ wake up... Ah, it's highly unlikely he'll retain any of his memories."

"Amaimon won't remember _anything_?"

"He might remember his name, but it's doubtful."

"...How long will it be until he wakes?"

"Hmm," he stroked the stubble on his chin as he thought. "Could be tonight. Could be in a week. It all depends on how quickly he heals."

He pressed his lips together tightly, swallowing the anger that rose from his vague answer, and averted his gaze back to his unconscious brother. "Who did this to you, Amaimon?" he spoke through clenched teeth. "Tell me, and I'll _kill_ him."

"We found him in the owner's lounge of a nightclub called '_The Demon's Horns_'," the doctor said, scratching at the long, unruly mess of hair he had.

"Sebastian Belis," he growled the name.

He hated seeing Amaimon in such a state, especially now that he knew it was brought about by a _vampire_—a cocky, pathetic human turned into a fake demon. It made him angry, insulted him, disgusted him, but still, this was his baby brother—he couldn't just leave him as he was. After all, big brothers had to take care of little brothers, no matter how stupid they were.

"Thank you for your help, doctor," he said finally, straightening his posture. "I'll send someone over to get him when he wakes up."

The doctor was surprised by this. "Ah, you... You're not coming back for him?"

Mephisto grinned mischievously, eyes glittering with a terrifying amusement. "I would love to, but I'm afraid I'll be on a plane to Paris first thing tomorrow morning." He tittered, "I need to visit my dear friend _Monsieur Belis_."

"Ah, okay then." The demon king's giddy tone frightened the skittish doctor, and he knew better than to ask questions. "I'll give you a call when he's ready to leave."

"That would be ideal—thank you." Mephisto turned to Amaimon one last time. He grabbed his brother's hand and kissed his knuckles. "I'll be back soon, Amaimon. Try not to get into trouble while I'm gone."


	2. Chapter 2

_"Shut up!" Outraged, Bast whirled and slammed him hard against the desk, holding the injured demon down with one hand. He grabbed the heart and pulled. It was such a weird sensation: Amaimon could feel his fingertips digging into the soft petals, tugging on the center where they connected, and ripping it from his chest._

_He screamed, finally wordless in his anguish, but someone wrapped a cloth around his open mouth from above, muffling his cries. Two other people grabbed his wrists and, between the agony of having his heart torn from him and the exhaustion of being mentally drained, Amaimon couldn't fight back. He struggled against the darkness, digging his nails into his palm to keep conscious. But it was too much too quick, and he succumbed to the inevitable tide._

* * *

**Chapter Two  
****. . .  
**_Best Friends...For Now_

* * *

**Yukio's glare was vicious, but** Mephisto didn't waver, even under his youngest half-brother's ferocity. "I've done many things I've never wanted to do during my time here, Sir Pheles, but _this_ is just absurd." He shook his head. "No. I will _not_ allow him to stay at our dormitory—especially after what happened with nii-san."

"I'm not a child, you know! I can take care of myself!"

"Like you took care of yourself in the forest?" he snapped. Rin growled and blushed, mumbling obscenities under his breath.

"Boys, please," Mephisto sighed and rubbed his temples with his gloved hands. It was just after midnight at True Cross Academy and, despite being a demon king, he was exhausted. He rested his elbows on his desk, trying to figure out how to word his scattered thoughts.

He _had_ to convince the twins to take Amaimon. His little brother wouldn't do well under the supervision of older exorcists and Shura would just neglect him. Rin would give him a playmate—as well as keep him under control if he became angry or agitated. And, if worse came to worst, and Amaimon's heart was missing or destroyed...

No, he dared not think about that possibility. Bast would still have it. He had to.

"Amaimon won't..." Mephisto cleared his throat with apparent difficulty, ridding his voice of all emotion. "Amaimon won't remember what happened at the forest. He won't remember...anything."

The twins were surprised by that, Yukio more than his brother. "What do you mean?" Rin's expression softened and he leaned forward with renewed interest.

Mephisto picked up a small figurine from the display shelf on his desk and examined it vacantly as he spoke. "Amaimon got into a bit of trouble and his demon heart was stolen from him."

Yukio's eyes widened. "Demons can live without their hearts?"

"Most demons and half-breeds can, yes," he explained. "But, without it, he won't even know he's a demon."

"He won't remember anything at all?" Rin sounded more sympathetic than his twin, and Mephisto was grateful for that.

"He'll be able to do basic things—walk, read and write, dress himself—but he won't remember faces or names or past events as a demon."

"Is he," the boy hesitated, nibbling on his bottom lip, "is he going to be like this forever?"

Mephisto clenched his jaw, smothering a grimace. "No," he said the word with a firm certainty, though he didn't know if he was trying to convince himself or the twins more. "I know who took it and I'm leaving tomorrow to get it back-"

Yukio cut him off, his expression hard. "Then leave him with your senior exorcists. It will only take a couple of days, right?"

Knowing Bast, he would run, and Mephisto would be spending most of his time overseas trying to track the bastard down before he moved again. "I'm afraid it will take longer than a few days—perhaps longer than a month."

"A _month_!?"

He held up his hand to keep him quiet. "Amaimon will be safest with you two." He turned to Rin. "You already have experience fighting him, and you're stronger than him. If he happens to," he paused, swallowing hard, "lose control—I trust you know how to handle him."

Rin nodded. "Of course we'll take care of him, Mephisto."

Relief flitted through him for an instant before Yukio snapped at his twin. "Are you crazy, nii-san? After everything he did, you're just going to let him into our home!?"

**. . .**

Rin frowned. The way Yukio spoke about Amaimon, the bitterness in his voice, the enmity in his eyes, concerned him. He was a demon too, and the hatred his brother showed for them made him uncomfortable. Would Yukio, one day, reject him when he needed help? He wanted to believe his twin loved him more than that, but, with outbursts like this, it was getting harder and harder to convince himself. "Stop it! Stop treating him like he's a monster!"

Yukio scoffed and raised his brows incredulously. "He _is_ a monster! He made you reveal yourself to the entire class!"

"It would have happened eventually!" he countered.

"Boys!" Mephisto stood, but they ignored him.

"You're right! You're so immature and impulsive that you would have ruined everything yourself, nii-san! I do all of this to protect _you_ and you throw it back in my face!" Yukio paused, his breath ragged, his fists clenched hard, his face red with anger. He glared intently at his brother.

"Yukio..."

Rin used to look up to his younger twin, a genius and natural-born leader, despite being a teary-eyed little boy who was easily dismissed by many. But, lately, Yukio had said things, done things, that made the half-demon wonder where his brother had gone—why he was hiding under all these layers of mistrust and hatred.

He waved his hand angrily, standing to leave. "Forget it," he spat. "Do whatever you want. But, understand this, nii-san: I will _not_ hold back if he tries to hurt _anyone_ again." He slammed the door behind him, harsh footsteps fading down the hall.

Mephisto sighed and sat back down, still holding on to the plastic figurine. "Well, that could have gone better."

Rin perked up, smiling to reassure the demon. "Don't worry, Mephisto. I'll watch over him while you're gone. Yukio won't attack him with me around, but I can't promise the same for his ego."

"Thank-"

"So long as you increase my monthly allowance," he added with an innocent grin.

He deadpanned, but the half-demon gave him no choice. "Very well." He failed to hide the annoyance in his voice. "You'll have more money _after_ I get back. I'll give you a call to let you know when he's ready to leave the infirmary."

"Sounds good!" Rin stood and stretched his arms high above his head.

"Rin?" Mephisto called out to him as he grabbed the gilded doorknob.

"Yeah?"

He smiled slightly. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

The half-demon blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. He never did like it when people tried to thank him for doing what he thought was right—and the fact that it came from Mephisto only embarrassed him more. "Nah, you don't need to thank me! I would want someone to do the same if it was Yukio." He winked playfully and left the demon king's office before he could say more.

Rin met up with his brother further down the hall. He glanced up and then lowered his eyes in shame. "Nii-san...I-"

He held up a hand to cut off his apology. "Don't bother. I know how you feel, Yukio, honest. But...did you _see_ him? He was devastated."

The young teacher nodded slowly. "I noticed." They started down the hall together. "I still don't think letting a demon king live with us for a month is a good idea."

Rin folded his hands behind his head as he walked. "Why not? Mephisto said he won't remember us, so there shouldn't be anything to worry about."

Yukio didn't attempt to contradict him, but it was obvious he wasn't convinced by his words. "I don't like Amaimon. He's...unpredictable."

"Like me?" He grinned widely and earned a small laugh from his brother.

"Exactly like you, nii-san."

* * *

**. . .  
**_Two Days Later_

* * *

Rin, cradling a plastic bag to his chest, opened the door to the endless hallway and poked his head in. He saw no motion in either direction, so he slipped inside, quietly making his way to the infirmary. Mephisto had convinced him that it would be best if no one else found out about Amaimon for the time being, lest the Vatican get involved. The other cram school students hated and feared the demon king far more than his brother did, and wouldn't react kindly to knowing he was at the Academy _and_ under the care of the Okumura twins.

He knocked and impatiently tapped his foot, glancing over his shoulder to see if anyone was coming. The door opened and he was greeted by a demon doctor with unruly, shoulder-length, black hair and glasses that hid his eyes. "Hello," he said shyly, scratching the side of his head. His tail hung lazily at his feet and Rin noticed he was only wearing one shoe.

"Hi!" Rin smiled, waiting for the man to step aside so he could enter the infirmary. He didn't attempt to move and they lapsed into an awkward silence that lasted far too long for comfort. "Uh, I'm here for Amaimon."

The doctor's brow furrowed and he pouted. "You mean...you're not the pizza boy?"

"No..."

"Darn. Come on in, then." He pushed the door open fully and stepped aside.

Amaimon, dressed in a thin hospital gown, was resting on a bed with wheels, the head of it raised slightly to support him. He stared out a window opposite to the door, watching the wind gently rustle the leaves of the trees bordering a stone path. Rin had never seen windows here before, but assumed Mephisto installed it to entertain his little brother while he was recovering.

Behemoth sat beside Amaimon on the bed, gnawing violently at a half-eaten brown shoe. "Ah, he stole it from me this morning," the doctor said, pushing his round glasses up his nose. "He...won't give it back and, ah, I'm too afraid to take it." He paused and watched the hobgoblin for a moment. "Not that I could use it now."

He glanced at them as the doctor spoke and, for an instant, Rin felt a reflexive fear as his eyes met Amaimon's, but it vanished quickly, replaced by a friendly smile. "Hey, Amaimon. How are you feeling?" _He looks so...lost_, the half-demon thought solemnly, noticing Amaimon's tense posture.

"Who are you?" he asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"My name is Rin. I'm here to take you home."

"Home?" He repeated the word as if he didn't know what it was. Rin frowned at the pained expression on his face. "I...don't remember..."

"That's okay," he said gently. "That's why I'm here—I'll help you remember." Amaimon continued to stare at him, eyes filled with uncertainty. He shifted uncomfortably under the demon's gaze. "Uh, you need to change before we can leave."

Rin held out the plastic bag that contained a freshly washed outfit. As he did, Amaimon shied away, frightened, and Behemoth growled protectively. He paused and frowned. Rin didn't take into account how scared he would be, how terrified he must feel after waking up in an unfamiliar world knowing nothing but his name. "It's not dangerous—it's a present," he explained softly, encouraging him to accept it. "Here, open it." He placed it down carefully on the edge of the bed.

Behemoth sniffed it and made a purring sound, letting his master know Rin was telling the truth. The hobgoblin picked the bag up in his mouth and carried it over to Amaimon. He opened it and frowned, brow knit together in confusion. "What's this?" he asked, unfolding the shirt.

Inside the bag was a clean pair of black skinny jeans, a light gray shirt with a black skull design, socks, and black sneakers. Rin didn't know how to coordinate colors with Amaimon's hair and skin tone, so he just picked neutral shades.

"Clothes! They're mine, but you can borrow them for now."

"Why are you giving me your clothes?" He trailed his fingers across the shirt, seemingly enthralled by the texture of the fabric.

"Well, you don't have any of your own yet and friends share."

"Friends?" Amaimon looked up, his cerulean eyes scrutinizing the half-demon. "Are you my friend?"

Rin's smile broadened and he nodded once. "Of course. You don't remember, but we're best friends!" He didn't see the harm in lying to the demon king—it would make his time with Rin less stressful if he believed they got along well.

The doctor pointed to the bathroom near his bed. "You can change in there. Just leave the gown on the counter—I'll, ah, get it later."

"Okay." The demon scooped up Behemoth, who clung to his chew toy desperately, and quietly closed the door behind him.

He waited for a moment before turning to the half-demon. "Mephisto has told you that, ah...he won't remember being a..._king_, correct?" the doctor asked, deliberately avoiding the word 'demon'. Rin nodded. "Good—that makes this easier. Ah, it would probably be best if he didn't find out. Right now he thinks he's human, and if he somehow discovers that he's a demon, it might cause him to...react badly. If you know what I mean."

Rin knew exactly what he meant. He remembered the fear, the shock, the desperation. He remembered how Shiro looked when he... Rin shook the memory out of his mind. "Don't let Amaimon find out he's a demon—got it."

"Perfect! Here's my card." The doctor dug through his pockets for a moment before pulling out a small business card covered in lint. "We've never experienced a situation as, ah, _unique_ as Amaimon's. So call me if you notice anything...unusual. I can make house visits too, but they cost extra." He scratched at his tangled hair again. "You know the way out—I'm going to go wait for the pizza boy."

Amaimon exited the bathroom just as the doctor was leaving, Behemoth perched comfortably on his shoulder. He looked strange in Rin's clothes, but not in a bad way. The pants fit just right, clinging to his legs and slightly exposing his shapely muscles. His shirt, however, was a bit short—when he raised his arms a strip of pale skin was revealed as the hem of it lifted from his jeans. Still, he looked incredibly normal for once and Rin liked it.

"You look good," he complimented. The demon didn't know how to respond, so he lowered his eyes and shifted his weight awkwardly. Rin cleared his throat, afraid he had said something embarrassing. "I need to make a quick call to my brother so he knows we're coming."

He hummed wistfully in acknowledgment and turned to stare out the window again.

Rin left the small room, assuming he would have to yell at his twin to convince him to be polite to Amaimon during his first visit, and pulled out his phone, selecting Yukio's name from the contacts list. Ever prompt, he picked up on the third ring. "Hey, it's me. I just got Amaimon—we should be home soon."

He heard Yukio sigh. "Are you sure you want to do this, nii-san? I could take him to Shura."

The half-demon rolled his eyes despite knowing he couldn't see it. "Seriously, Yukio, how many times do we have to argue about this? Get over it already."

There was a silent pause and Rin could picture his brother gritting his teeth, trying to suppress his anger. "Fine," he spat. "Make sure he stays out of trouble." He hung up immediately, obviously irritated by Rin's words.

With a quick huff, he turned back to the sick room, unnerved to find the demon king nibbling at the collar of the shirt he was wearing. "Amaimon...what are you doing?"

He started, surprised the half-demon had caught him. "It smelled good...so I thought it would taste good too."

"O-Oh...does it?"

Amaimon shook his head. "It tastes like cloth."

Rin chuckled. "I guess you're hungry. I'll get you something on the way back, okay?"

"Okay."

"Let's go!" He reached out to take Amaimon's hand, but the demon recoiled. "I'm not going to hurt you." His voice was filled with concern.

"I don't believe you." He tried to step back, but his heels knocked into the gurney behind him.

"Amaimon..." He looked so different from the demon king Rin was used to, so fearful and shy. A stab of pity made him cringe, but he didn't give up—he reached out for Amaimon again, his tone softer and his expression compassionate. "I would never do anything to hurt you," he said gently, "I promise." The demon stared at him intently, studying his face for anything that would expose his supposed lies. Slowly, he placed his hand in Rin's, tensing only slightly when the half-demon closed his fingers around his palm. "See? That doesn't hurt, right? Let's go home."

He nodded. "Home."

Rin guided him out of the cram school and on to the sidewalk just outside of True Cross Academy with a delicate, almost reverent touch. Amaimon was too busy glancing around at their new surroundings to pay it much attention. He had never been this close to the demon king before—not outside of fighting, anyway. Amaimon had a very subtle, pleasant scent, like a mixture of freshly cut grass and candy.

_He's nice when he's not trying to kill me,_ the thought came to Rin unbidden, but it made him smile nonetheless.

Not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention, Rin released his grasp on Amaimon's hand as they reached a more populated area of town. They walked slowly, side-by-side, the demon captivated by the strange sights and sounds around him. Rin watched him closely, wondering how he viewed the world now that he thought he was human.

His gaze was dragged to the line of skin just above his pants—barely catching a glimpse of the toned muscles underneath. Amaimon immediately took notice. He didn't comment on his staring, but tugged his shirt down. Rin looked away and scratched the side of his face nervously, trying to hide the blush he could feel creeping across his cheeks. As he searched for something to use as a distraction, he noticed a food stand selling fried takoyaki.

"Hey, Amaimon—you still hungry?" The demon inclined his head curiously as Rin rushed over to the vendor and purchased two tiny baskets of takoyaki. He hurried back with an eager grin stretching his face. "Here!"

"What is it?" he asked, wrinkling his nose. He sniffed at the food cautiously. Inside the plastic baskets were brown balls covered in a darker brown sauce. They didn't look very appetizing to him, though their smell was tantalizing.

"Takoyaki. It's octopus cooked in batter. You love this stuff. Try one—it'll help you remember!" He shoved a basket at him, but the demon flinched and shook his head, causing Behemoth to utter a displeased growl.

"I don't trust you," Amaimon said stubbornly, folding his arms across his chest and huffing like a child.

Rin frowned and shrugged. "More for me, then." He balanced a basket in the fold of his arm and stabbed one with the toothpick, biting it in half and revealing the steaming, fried pieces of octopus within. "_Mmm_!" He smirked at the demon king when he tentatively reached out for a ball. "I thought you didn't trust me?" He raised a brow playfully.

Amaimon pouted, but couldn't think of an appropriate response that wouldn't make him go back on his words. With a light laugh, Rin handed him the extra basket. The demon king began digging into the takoyaki fervently, Behemoth drooling slightly on his shoulder. He watched Amaimon with astonishment, stunned by how ravished he acted.

"It's delicious."

"Told you you'd like it!" They started walking again, silenced briefly by the food. "Before we go home," Rin said between bites, "I want you to try to avoid my brother. You'll know him when you see him—he's the one with glasses and moles. Yukio doesn't really-" He stopped when he felt Amaimon's cold fingers grab his wrist and gently pull. The demon met his eyes, mouth on his toothpick—he had eaten Rin's takoyaki in a single bite. "Hey, that was mine!"

"Friends share," Amaimon insisted with an exceptionally innocent expression.

Rin pouted, then sighed in defeat. The pity he felt for Amaimon made it impossible for him to argue. "Want another?" Hesitant, he opened his mouth and Rin fed the demon king another ball of fried takoyaki. Amaimon hummed in delight as he chewed.


	3. Chapter 3

_"Amaimon..." He looked so different from the demon king Rin was used to, so fearful and shy. A stab of pity made him cringe, but he didn't give up—he reached out for Amaimon again, his tone softer and his expression compassionate. "I would never do anything to hurt you," he said gently, "I promise." The demon stared at him intently, studying his face for anything that would expose his supposed lies. Slowly, he placed his hand in Rin's, tensing only slightly when the half-demon closed his fingers around his palm. "See? That doesn't hurt, right? Let's go home."_

_He nodded. "Home."_

* * *

**Chapter Three  
****. . .  
**_Something Sweet_

* * *

**Amaimon made a face at** the sight of the decrepit, austere dormitory he apparently called home. Large portions of the walls were faded from the weather and some of the windows on the lower floors had been boarded up. He expected his residence to appear tidy and presentable, but _this_...even Behemoth resented going inside, and the little ball-like animal chewed on trash for most of the day.

The building was also very quiet, and he noticed they were the only two nearby. "Where is everyone?"

"Huh?" Rin was taken aback by his question. "Uh...this is a private dorm, so it'll only be us three. Come on—I'll take you to your room!" He quickly grabbed his hand and dragged him inside before he could ask more probing questions. Amaimon followed without complaint.

There wasn't much to see along the way. Some of the rooms didn't have doors and sunlight poured into the hallway unhindered by blinds or boards, revealing specks of dust as they floated through the stale air. The dormitory had a musty smell and felt stuffy and hot, but it became increasingly more comfortable—and clean—the further up they went. It was far nicer here than the exterior had led him to expect and, despite his initial reaction, Amaimon eventually decided that he liked it.

They came to a stop at the end of the hallway on the top floor. He noticed that each door here had gilded numbers nailed into them to distinguish them from their neighbors. Rin tapped a finger on 601. "This is your room." He turned and gestured to the room opposite of his. "Yukio and I live in 602. Don't be afraid to come in if you need something." He paused, and then quickly added, "try to come to me before you go to Yukio."

He wasn't paying attention, eyes focused on their connected hands. Amaimon entwined his fingers with Rin's, intrigued by the ache his touch caused, captivated by his warmth and soft texture. He tensed slightly, a look of confusion on his face, but said nothing and made no attempt to pull his hand away. Amaimon tentatively raised his eyes, studying Rin's face, memorizing his favorite features: the way his silky hair fell on his brow, the vibrant blue of his eyes, the outline of his jaw, the soft curve of his lips.

Rin's cheeks turned an adoring shade of pink, and Amaimon leaned closer.

_mine_

Amaimon had been instinctively drawn to Rin. When they had first met, hatred lanced at him, consuming his thoughts. He wanted to fight him, hurt him, _kill_ him. But, gradually, those feelings ebbed and melted into something unfamiliar—an emotion that tugged incessantly at his heart. Something within him had responded instantly to his warm touch, to his gentle voice. It was frightening—too intense, too foreign—but, at the same time, these bizarre feelings piqued his relentless curiosity. He wanted to feel more, and to know if Rin had ever felt the same...

_ALL MINE_

He flinched, startled by the abrupt, guttural voice, and glanced around, frantically searching for the source. But he was alone with Rin and Behemoth.

"Amaimon?" He looked at his supposed friend. Rin's hand suddenly felt wrong in his, and he pried his fingers from his grasp. "What's wrong?" His brow furrowed in a concerned expression.

He stared blankly down at his hands, wondering what had compelled him to touch Rin so intimately and what gave him the desire to do it again. "...Nothing." Behemoth purred, nuzzling his cheek, sensing his master's apprehension. Feeling unnaturally exposed in the hallway, Amaimon pushed past Rin and opened the door to his room. Rin followed.

Behemoth jumped down as soon as they entered, sniffing at the freshly cleaned floorboards. There wasn't much to his room: Amaimon had a desk underneath a large window, a closet, and a bed built into the wall. A curtain separated the other side of his room, where a roommate would be if he had been given one. He opened the closet, uncertain of what to expect. There were no clothes inside, but a full-body mirror was attached to the back of the door, surprising him. He stared at his unrecognizable reflection—his hair was disheveled and his eyes were blue bruises, sunk deep into his hollow face. He noticed his lips were compressed into a thin line, almost as though they never knew a smile. And maybe they didn't—he couldn't remember. A sensation of repugnance sparked within him at the sight and, disgusted, he softly closed the door.

Amaimon turned his attention to the desk, brow knit together as he searched through the empty drawers. Aside from the mattress and blankets covering it, the room was completely void of his personal things.

"Where's my stuff?" He wasn't even sure what his 'stuff' would be, but it felt strange that he would be living in such a vacant room.

"S-Stuff?" Rin suddenly became nervous. "Uhh," he dragged the word out as he quickly tried to come up with an excuse. Amaimon folded his arms across his chest, narrowing his eyes impatiently.

"Your things are being moved up later today." The two turned to find a tall, brown-haired boy standing in the doorway. He had the same face as Rin. "We had them moved from your old room downstairs."

"Oh, Amaimon—you remember Yukio, right?" He latched on to his brother's presence instantly.

"Hello, Amaimon. I'm Yukio, Rin's brother." Yukio reached out to shake his hand with a friendly smile plastered on his face.

He glared at his outstretched arm. "Don't touch me."

"It's just a handshak-"

"_Don't touch me_."

Yukio curled his fingers into a fist and struggled to keep his composure. "Don't worry—I have no intention of ever coming near you," he said. All traces of warmth in his voice had vanished at once.

_KILL HIM_

That was a good idea. He didn't like the way Yukio spoke, dry and stilted. He didn't like the hatred hidden in his eyes. He didn't like _anything_ about him. Amaimon wanted to hurt him, kill him, hear him scream and beg for mercy.

_RIP OUT HIS INTESTINES_

The strange voice was beginning to make sense to him in a sick, twisted way.

_FEED ME_

Rin snapped him out of his vehement thoughts by pulling him back, putting himself between Amaimon and his brother. "He didn't mean to be rude, Amaimon. _Right, Yukio?_" He asked the latter through clenched teeth, earning an offended glance from his brother. Amaimon peered at the stranger from over Rin's shoulder.

"I apologize if I came off a bit too harsh. I hope you enjoy your stay here." The sincerity in his voice was fake and he instantly turned away, disappearing into the room he shared with his brother.

"I don't like him," Amaimon admitted quietly. Behemoth snorted in agreement.

"You'll get used to him eventually," Rin said, voice saturated with relief.

Amaimon shrugged a shoulder, uncaring, and returned to his room. He set his palms on the desk, leaning forward to get a better view of the Academy out his window. The collection of buildings seemed to be a maze, grand and imposing, with tall spires and peaked roofs. He briefly wondered what it was like to attend classes and whether he had once been a part of their curriculum. Amaimon nibbled on his thumb, scanning the landscape for anything that might seem vaguely familiar.

He felt Rin stand beside him and looked up. "It's boring here," he said without thinking. "I'm hungry."

Rin grinned. "I thought you'd say that. How about I cook us something to eat?"

"Cook?" He inclined his head, interest piqued by the word. "You can cook?"

"Yep—what do you want to eat?"

It took him less than a second to know his answer, "something sweet."

"Hmm," he hummed in thought and placed a finger on his chin. "I think we have some ingredients left over from the pancakes yesterday... The kitchen is down the hall by the stairs. I'll show you." With that, Amaimon pushed away from the desk and reluctantly started to follow Rin into the hall.

**. . . **

Rin stepped out into the hallway and paused, demonic senses hearing the familiar, faint padding of cat paws. He crouched down just as Kuro scrambled from out of the kitchen and pounced on him. _"Rin! Rin! You're back!"_ The cat demon meowed happily, wagging his two tails. _"You promised lunch when you got back, remember?"_

He laughed and scratched his familiar behind his horns. "Don't worry Kuro—I didn't forget." He placed the cat down and stood. "How about some pancakes?"

"_Yay! Pancakes! Pancakes!"_ Kuro jumped up, eagerly twirling in a tight circle.

"What _are_ pancakes, Rin? Are they sweet?" His familiar froze when Amaimon approached them, Behemoth half-awake in his arms. The hobgoblin instantly perked up when it smelled Kuro and growled menacingly at him.

"They're sweet—You'll see. I think we still have some syrup and powdered sugar you can use." Rin frowned as he watched Kuro step back and hide behind the safety of his legs. "It's okay, Kuro." He bent down to give his familiar a reassuring pat. "Amaimon is our friend, remember?" He cursed himself for forgetting to warn the animal of the demon's arrival.

Kuro looked up at his master with wide, fearful eyes. _"H-He's going to eat me!"_

He rolled his eyes with a sigh. "No, he's not," he said, leaning forward and dropping his voice to a barely audible whisper. "I'll explain later—just play along for now, okay?" He didn't respond, trembling violently as Amaimon crouched beside Rin. Behemoth snarled, struggling to wiggle out of the earth king's grasp. Kuro panicked and hissed, black hackles bristling.

"I don't like cats," he said bluntly.

Rin opened his mouth to tell Amaimon his familiar would go out of his way to avoid him, but snapped it shut when he noticed the expression he wore. There was something different reflecting in his eyes, something Rin recognized from their fighting. It concerned him—Amaimon didn't know he was a demon, but that didn't make him human. His eyes were wide, his pupils turning a contrasting crimson. The demon licked his lips unknowingly, as if he was _actually_ considering having the cat for a meal.

It was similar to the look he had given Yukio just a few minutes ago—flickers of red absorbing his pupils, daunting and unnatural.

"Amaimon...?" Jolting out of his thoughts, he looked up, tilting his head innocently, his eyes returning to their original, stoic appearance. Rin saw no trace of the wrath he had just shown to Kuro.

"What?"

"Your eyes..."

"Do you think they're pretty?" He blinked.

Rin flushed and glared. "N-No!"

"I think _your_ eyes are pretty."

Amaimon leaned forward, his gaze intense and savage. Rin did nothing to pull away. They didn't speak or move—just stared—and, somehow, those few suspended seconds were more intimate than anything the half-demon had ever experienced.

"_Rin!"_

Kuro's voice brought him back to reality. He turned away from the demon, face burning with humiliation, and busied himself by anxiously twirling a lock of black hair around his finger. "I, uh, guess your eyes are okay..." Amaimon reached out hesitantly, apparently wanting to touch his hair too, and, in that instant, Behemoth roared, still furious with Kuro.

"_No! D-Don't eat me!"_ The cat took off down the hall and Behemoth lunged out of a distracted Amaimon's arms, chasing him. They disappeared into the kitchen.

"K-Kuro!" Rin ran after them, frightened his familiar would get hurt. Amaimon followed, but with less persistence. He burst into the room, searching for any signs of movement, hearing strange, rasping sounds coming from the hobgoblin.

"It's okay." Amaimon casually strode in, showing no concern for either familiar. "They're just playing."

"Playing!?" But, when Rin found them on the other side of the bar, he realized the demon was right. Kuro was trapped under Behemoth, squirming and laughing loudly as the hobgoblin licked him.

"_Stop! Stop—I'm ticklish!" _He managed to break free, and the familiars chased each other around the dining table. Rin chuckled, watching the two play their game of tag, and relaxed.

"Where are the pancakes?"

"I have to make them. It won't take long—why don't you sit down and take a break for a bit?"

Without hesitation, Amaimon moved a chair aside and seated himself in the dining room, pulling his legs up and resting his chin on his knees. He ignored the wrestling animals and instead stared at something unseen in the distance, his eyes far away, his expression contemplative. While pulling out ingredients, Rin noticed that he had positioned himself in the furthermost corner, away from the kitchen area and the door. The half-demon sighed, wondering if he would ever get the earth king to trust him.

"So, Amaimon," he began in a cheery voice as he continued to work, "how do you feel about your new room?"

There was a short pause before the earth demon responded, tone sullen and wistful. "I feel like my life is a book written in a language I can't read."

Rin stopped, hands frozen in place. In his excitement, he had forgotten how empty Amaimon must feel with no memories of his past. He felt selfish, but, at the same time, he was glad he couldn't remember who he once was. The earth king was a different person now—there were still hints of his childish, violent personality, but he had indeed changed. And, though he would never admit it out loud, he liked this new Amaimon...a lot more than he should.

"Don't worry, Amaimon," he said, trying to give the demon some confidence. "Things will get better soon." Rin poured the batter mixture into the heated pan mindlessly, his thoughts elsewhere.

"I'll help." He jumped when Amaimon reached from behind and grabbed his hand.

"H-Huh!?"

"I want to play too." He was standing awkwardly close, his breath on Rin's ear.

"W-Why don't you go play with Kuro and Behemoth?"

He glanced back at the wrestling familiars with a lack of interest. "But I want to play with Rin." He turned back to the half-demon. "You don't want to play? Don't you like me, Rin?"

Rin felt an instant stab of guilt at his words—everything seemed to make him feel guilty these past few days. "Of course I like you..." He shook his head and replaced his startled frown with a brilliant smile. "Here, I'll show you how to flip pancakes!"

**. . .**

_FEED ME_

The words echoed in Amaimon's mind, a vibration that washed across him, consuming his thoughts and desires. Images of him biting the soft, supple flesh of Rin's neck flooded his mind. He couldn't escape the palpable taste of his blood, the strange sensations that came with this unwanted fantasy, no matter how hard he tried.

His body was a traitor, suddenly responding to the violent images. Shimmering need and desire flashed through him, and Amaimon found himself edging closer and closer to Rin's neck, licking his lips with anticipation.

_YES  
__BITE HIM  
__KILL HIM_

"—Like this, okay?"

Amaimon blinked, the disembodied voice gone. It took him a moment to realize Rin was instructing him on how to flip a pancake. "...Huh?"

Rin frowned and raised a brow. "Did you hear anything I just said?"

"No." He backed away. "Are the pancakes ready?" Rin sighed, rolling his eyes, and returned his attention to the stove.

* * *

**. . .  
**_Later That Night_

* * *

Amaimon dug through the single box of his things Yukio had brought up, hoping that seeing them again would spark hidden memories in the back of his mind. He pulled out book after book of what Rin referred to as 'manga', video games, a console and two matching controllers, a bag of lollipops, and a soft, light blue yukata decorated with a coal tar pattern—he didn't really question how he knew they were coal tar, simply satisfied that he found the pattern familiar. He immediately changed out of Rin's clothes, enjoying how the fabric felt against his skin.

Rin helped him sort through the box, but it seemed like he was more interested in the manga collection than offering his friend any consolation. "How did you get this!?" He held up a book that was indistinguishable from all the others. "This isn't even out yet!"

He shrugged. "You can have it."

His words instantly quelled Rin's excitement. "N-No, it's yours," he said, placing the book gently back on top of the discarded pile.

Amaimon didn't understand his sudden change in behavior—if he wanted it, why didn't he just take it? There was nothing to stop him. He picked it up and shoved it back into Rin's hand. "Keep it. It doesn't mean much to me anyway." None of these things did.

Rin stared at it with a solemn expression and Amaimon wondered if he did something wrong. Before he could gather the courage to ask him, Yukio knocked on the open door. "Time for bed," he announced, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Amaimon.

He stood, brushing invisible dirt off his yukata, and pushed the box aside with a bare foot. Behemoth was already fast asleep, exhausted from his day with Kuro, curled up in a tight ball at the edge of his bed. "Amaimon." He glanced back at Rin, who was lingering in his doorway. "Good night," he said, giving him that gentle smile he found so endearing.

_MINE_

"...Good night."

**. . .**

Yukio locked their room door after Rin had settled into his bed, jiggling the handle to make sure it was secure. He glared at him with a raised brow. "What are you doing?"

"Just in case." He sat down at his desk and clicked the lamp on.

"Just in case _what_?" Yukio's suspicious behavior was really starting to aggravate him.

He frowned. "For all we know, he could be lying, nii-san. I don't trust him, and neither should you."

Rin wasn't convinced. No one, not even a demon, could fake that level of innocence. "He's _not_ lying."

"Don't you think it's a bit strange that he just...believes everything you say?"

He had a point—Amaimon's instant acceptance was probably one of the strangest things Rin had ever experienced. But, despite this, he found himself enjoying the demon's trust. "Well, what would _you_ do if you lost all your memories, Yukio? You would have to trust someone, right?"

"He's a demon, nii-san—demons don't know trust. Listen, I know you're sick of hearing this, so I'm only going to say it once: don't give him the opportunity to become attached to you." Yukio turned on his computer and opened a textbook, abruptly ending their conversation.

Rin laid back on his pillow, staring at the ceiling, his twin's words echoing in his mind.


	4. Chapter 4

_The words echoed in Amaimon's mind, a vibration that washed across him, consuming his thoughts and desires. Images of him biting the soft, supple flesh of Rin's neck flooded his mind. He couldn't escape the palpable taste of his blood, the strange sensations that came with this unwanted fantasy, no matter how hard he tried._

_His body was a traitor, suddenly responding to the violent images. Shimmering need and desire flashed through him, and Amaimon found himself edging closer and closer to Rin's neck, licking his lips with anticipation._

* * *

**Chapter Four  
****. . .  
**_There's a Monster in Me_

* * *

**Amaimon woke with a start,** his heart pounding almost audibly in his chest, his green fringe stuck to his brow with cold sweat. He sat up and looked around, noticing that he was back in his sick room at the hospital and dressed in the thin gown. Behemoth was nowhere to be seen. He frowned and fisted the blanket anxiously.

Why was he here? Had he done something to upset Rin? To anger him enough that he would bring him back to this wretched, deplorable place?

He glanced at the window, but a curtain had been pulled over it, blocking his view to the outside world. Amaimon slid out of his bed, green tail landing lifelessly with a soft _thump_ at his feet. He picked it up as he walked, knowing that stepping on it would cause his lower back a great deal of pain.

The room was dark, the air cold and still. He brushed it off until he felt an uncomfortable, prickling sensation on the back of his neck. Goosebumps traveled up his arms, and suddenly the room was much colder—he could almost see his breath coming out in small, white puffs in front of him.

Something wasn't right. It was too dark, too quiet, too calm. There was a stillness to the air that Amaimon had never felt before, and it bothered him. He began to tremble, though whether from the cold or his uncertainty, he would never know.

Wrapping his arms around his chest in an attempt to quell the tremors attacking his body, Amaimon opened the door and walked into the doctor's private room. It, too, was empty, with no lights and, oddly enough, no discarded pizza boxes. The doors leading to the other rooms were all locked and no sound came from within.

And then, a strange noise caught his attention—like something large being dragged against the floor. It was coming from the door that led to the lobby, where the doctor's assistants normally stayed. He pressed a pointed ear to the freezing door, listening with breathless interest. Whatever it was growled softly, though he heard no voices.

Frightened, Amaimon took a small step back. "Doctor?" he called, unable to quiet his growing curiosity. "Hello?"

Against his better judgment, he opened the door slightly—just enough for him to peek inside. A few feet away stood a horrid, odious creature several times larger than him with light green, lizard-like skin covered in jagged, maroon swirls. Its large hands ended in sharp, red claws that matched the markings on its scales. It had a massive, thick tail that pushed aside chairs as it moved. And its face... The monster had an elongated snout that opened wide to reveal a row of razor-like teeth lining its jaw from corner to corner. Its eyes were big and round with slitted pupils, glowing yellow in the dark of the hospital lobby, and its tongue was long and forked. Strange, flat horns with swirled imprints jutted from the top of its head.

The monster held something up—a body—and sniffed at it. With a shudder, Amaimon realized it was holding the doctor.

It placed the unconscious doctor into its enormous mouth and slowly bit down, crushing him, ripping his legs from his body, and swallowed the corpse whole. Warm blood dripped from its open jaw, tendrils of steam rising around it. A pair of glasses were stuck between its teeth. The beast discarded of what was left of the doctor's limbs and turned to the door where Amaimon stood. He quickly backed away, hand over his mouth to silence his labored breathing.

But the monster already knew he was there.

_FINALLY  
__WE MEET_

The beast's words echoed in his head, guttural and deep—it was the same voice that spoke to him before, trying to convince him to kill. It seemed odd to pair the disembodied voice with a face, though one as hideous as this seemed to fit.

Amaimon nudged the door open with a foot—there was no use hiding now that he had been seen. "Who are you?" he asked, tightening his clammy hands around his unresponsive tail to keep them from shaking.

_I AM YOU_

What did _that_ mean? Amaimon couldn't be the same as this...thing—it was impossible. Had he gone mad? Had the accident that caused him to lose his memories also provoke some strange insanity? Create a monster to inhabit the ruined parts of his mind? He clutched his tail tighter and found that he was holding his breath.

Having heard his curious thoughts, the monster inclined its long head.

_YOU DID NOT IMAGINE ME  
__I AM ALWAYS WITH YOU_

Fear bubbled inside him, but he swallowed hard, suppressing it. "No, you're not real," he insisted timidly, failing to hide the waver in his voice. "This is just a dream—a nightmare—and you're the monster who wants to eat me."

It chuckled darkly, stretching its thin lips over its jagged teeth, almost as if it was smiling at him.

"B-But I'll wake up," Amaimon continued defiantly, ignoring its derisive laughter. "You're not real and I'll just wake up before you hurt me."

_THIS IS NO DREAM_

The fear dissolved into a spiraling dread, and Amaimon found himself backing away as the beast crept closer, slaver dripping on to the floor from its open maw. "S-Stay back! Don't touch me!" With a small squeal, he tripped over his neglected tail and landed hard on his backside. He scrambled away as the monster took another step, panic enveloping his thoughts. "Get away from me!"

He shut his eyes tightly and buried his face into his hands, curling into a ball on the floor like a frightened child.

_It's not real... It's not real!_ He told himself. _It's just a dream. ...not real._ He pressed his hands harder to his eyes, trying to ignore the sounds as the monster pushed its way into the room. _Wake up! Please, wake up!_

Suddenly, everything stopped—the noise, the stillness, the chill—it was all gone in an instant. Amaimon waited quietly, shivering, assuming he had managed to wake himself. But, when he moved his hands away, the beast was grinning down at him, large, round eyes glowing faintly in the darkness. The sight made him sick.

"Don't hurt me," he whispered the plea.

_HURT YOU?  
__BUT AMAIMON  
__I AM NOT REAL_

A massive hand closed around his legs before he could stand, dragging him back into the chill of the lobby. He kicked and twisted and fought to pry the clutching fingers off his legs, but, unyielding, the beast dug its claws into his flesh, making him scream.

It hurt and he didn't wake from the pain. Amaimon continued to struggle hopelessly against its grasp as it dragged him, laughing loudly in his mind, but it only seemed to make its claws bury themselves deeper, drawing a startlingly uncomfortable amount of blood.

Amaimon gave up and stopped moving, letting it pull him into the lobby, leaving a dark trail of blood behind him. It towered over him, tongue lolling out, as if it could taste the fear in his breath. He shuddered. "What do you want from me?"

_FEED ME_

"H-Huh?" He didn't understand—how was he meant to feed a beast trapped in his mind?

Realization slammed into him as the monster forced images and fantasies into his mind—Rin with his throat torn out, Yukio disemboweled, the sounds of the brothers screaming, begging for mercy. He understood what it wanted now. The creature wanted him to satiate its lust for death and destruction, to feed it blood and flesh.

"Stop!" he screamed, frantic, disorientated, terrified. "I won't do it!"

_FEED ME  
__OR I WILL KILL EVERYONE YOU CARE ABOUT_

"Let me go!" Amaimon landed a kick in its lower jaw with everything he had, but it didn't even flinch. It raised its head and roared, slaver and blood splattering on his face. The sound was deafening and all he could do was lay there until it was finished, clutching his hands to his ears.

It finally released its grip on him, claws stained a deep red.

_YOU  
__ARE  
__MINE_

The beast picked him up again with both hands—like he had the doctor—and placed him in his open mouth. Its tongue was rough and wet, and Amaimon felt like he would throw up. The right sleeve of his gown had snagged on one of its teeth, easily piercing the soft flesh of his upper arm.

"N-No, don't! Let me go!" he begged, tears stinging his eyes.

Slowly, it closed its jaw. Amaimon could feel its teeth digging into his arm, grinding against bone. He could taste his blood in his mouth and feel his legs being ripped gradually from his body. Using all of his remaining strength, he pressed his weight against the creature's tongue, punching and clawing at the roof of its mouth with his free hand to force open its jaw, but it only laughed at him.

The last thing he felt was his skull cracking. And then...

Behemoth squealed in surprise as he was knocked off the bed. Amaimon thrashed against his blankets, kicking and flailing and whimpering. He landed hard on the floor. Fully awake, Amaimon sat up and scrambled back until his back was pressed against the wall. He sat there for a moment, knees pulled up to his chest and tail tangled in the folds of his yukata—which was now hanging open inappropriately. Behemoth padded over to him, tilting his head as he watched his master struggle to calm his shaky breaths.

He was back at the dormitory, safe in his room among the scattered contents of his box. Amaimon sighed heavily and dragged a trembling hand through his hair, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"Sorry," he murmured apologetically, patting the little animal on his head. "Bad dream..."

_MINE_

* * *

**. . .  
**_The Next Day_

* * *

"Nii-san, wake up," Yukio called, shaking his brother's shoulder. Rin let out an unattractive grunt, waved his hand away, rolled over, and soon began snoring softly. "Nii-san," he sighed, but decided to let the half-demon sleep—he would try again after a cup of coffee.

He was surprised to find the kitchen lights on and Amaimon hunched on a chair in the corner of the dining room, sleeping soundly with his pet hobgoblin curled up against his chest and a cup dangling loosely in his hand. The young exorcist gritted his teeth, swallowing a growl. First he had to wake Rin, and now _Amaimon_? Mephisto better be grateful for this, where ever that clown was.

"At least _you_ don't have to go to classes," he said to the sleeping demon as he took the cup from his hand. It smelled faintly of chai tea. Amaimon whimpered quietly and tightened his grip on Behemoth, brow knit together in a disheartened, fearful expression, as though something were attacking him in his dreams.

Yukio never thought he would see this face on a demon, let alone a _demon king_. It was strange to see Amaimon so full of humanity, fingers twitching nervously, lips moving to form incoherent words as he spoke in his dream. For an instant, he almost wanted to believe that, maybe, the earth king had truly lost his memories. But it passed quickly and the young exorcist narrowed his eyes. Yukio knew it was better to cling to his suspicions than be open and trusting like his older brother—besides, _someone_ had to protect him.

Amaimon suddenly jolted awake, startling him. Yukio cleared his throat and messed with his tie to hide his reaction. "Good morning. Did you sleep well in your new room?"

It took the dazed and unsettled demon a moment to realize he was awake and regain his composure. He unfolded his body, letting his bare feet touch the cold ceramic floor. "No," he said, evading Yukio's scornful gaze.

From Yukio's experience, Amaimon seemed as stolid as he was taciturn, only speaking to people he liked or if a topic caught his interest. He frowned at his attempt to avoid conversation. "That's a shame," he continued regardless, making sure to give him a smile, but not a nice one. "Today is Monday—Rin and I have classes, so you'll be alone until Rin gets back later tonight." His eyes widened almost imperceptibly at this, and Yukio's haughty smile broadened.

"By myself?" Amaimon's voice was monotonous, quieting his grin.

"That's not a problem, is it?" he asked, preparing the coffee pot in the kitchen.

"I don't know..." The demon's answer was soft and solemn, but he still heard it.

A stab of pity silenced his arrogant response. Despite the fact that Yukio welcomed any chance to lash out or berate the earth king, he did pity him for the loss of his memories—and demon heart. _Losing such an important part of yourself must be difficult to deal with. Maybe I should let Rin stay behind today—just to make sure Amaimon doesn't cause any trouble or burn our dormitory down while we're away._

"Amaimon..."

"I don't want your sympathy," he snapped.

His anger instantly returned. But, before he could scold the demon for his attitude, Rin walked into the kitchen, stretching his arms high above his head and yawning widely. "What do you want for breakfast, Yukio?" he asked, scratching the back of his head as he did every morning.

"Pancakes." Rin flinched at the sound of Amaimon's voice. Apparently, he had forgotten they had a guest for the month.

His stunned expression melted into a warm, benign smile that made jealousy lance through Yukio. "Sorry, Amaimon—we ate all the pancakes yesterday."

"Something sweet, then."

Rin made a face at his response. "Do you ever eat anything that isn't sweet?"

"Maybe... I can't remember. If Rin makes me something that isn't sweet, I'll eat it."

"Sure!"

Yukio ignored the fact that the demon conversed with Rin easier than him, and let their voices become a dull hum in the background. He turned away from the coffee pot when he heard his brother laugh, envy boiling his blood. When he did, he noticed something bright and red seeping into the right sleeve of Amaimon's yukata, blindingly obvious against the light blue fabric.

"Amaimon, you're bleeding." He pointed to his arm.

Rin's brow furrowed with concern when he saw it. "That looks bad—what happened? Did you hit your arm against something?"

The demon glanced down and instantly jumped to his feet in a panic, letting Behemoth slip to the cold floor with a startled yelp. "No! No, don't hurt me!" He scrambled back until he hit the wall, flailing, trying to shove something invisible away from him. "Let me go!"

"It's okay! Amaimon, calm down!" Rin approached him cautiously, unsure of what had caused him to react so violently.

"Nii-san, get away from him!" But his brother wasn't listening.

The demon tripped on his yukata, ripping it open, and slid to the floor in a writhing heap. Rin rushed over to him, calling his name and dodging his frantic swipes. "I won't do it!" he cried, eyes shut tight. "Get away from me!"

"Amaimon, stop—it's me!" He suddenly stopped struggling, Rin's hands tight on his wrists. Slowly, he relaxed, averting his gaze in shame. "Everything is going to be okay," he said softly. He released his grasp on Amaimon and pulled his yukata closed, tying it in place loosely. Behemoth purred and jumped into his arms. "Better?" The demon hunched forward, humiliated, and nodded stiffly. "Come on—let's go get that arm fixed up."

Yukio let out a soft sigh of relief and quietly placed the kitchen knife on the counter. He would have to carry a gun loaded with silver bullets from now on—if only for Rin's safety.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Whoa, look, we finally get some drama! Anyway, Fox! I'm so sorry for ignoring your question last week – I wrote a response to it but I was in a hurry and forgot to attach it to the previous chapter. To answer your question about tails: Yes Amai does have a nice furry green tail. However, he doesn't know that demons exist (yet) and so he doesn't associate a tail with being a demon. I think he asks Rin about it somewhere around chap 6. Hope this answers your question and thanks for reviewing!

Thanks to everyone for reading and I hope you're enjoying the story so far!


	5. Chapter 5

_The beast picked him up again with both hands—like he had the doctor—and placed him in his open mouth. Its tongue was rough and wet, and Amaimon felt like he would throw up. The sleeve of his gown had snagged on one of its teeth, easily piercing the soft flesh of his upper arm._

_"N-No, don't! Let me go!" he begged, tears stinging his eyes._

_Slowly, it closed its jaw. Amaimon could feel its teeth digging into his arm, grinding against bone. He could taste his blood in his mouth and feel his legs being ripped gradually from his body. Using all of his remaining strength, he pressed his weight against the creature's tongue, punching and clawing at its thick skin with his free hand to force open its jaw, but it only laughed at him._

* * *

**Chapter Five  
****. . .  
**_Ghost_

* * *

**"I don't need your help,"** Amaimon spat angrily, smacking Rin's hand away. "I can stand up by myself." Holding tightly to Behemoth, he clambered awkwardly to his feet, using the wall behind him to support him as his legs trembled beneath him. His arm throbbed with pain and he felt a line of warm blood trickling down to his wrist.

Clenching his jaw tight, Amaimon smothered a grimace and followed the brother back down the hall to their bedroom. They were arguing about classes, but he didn't bother to pay attention to their bickering.

_YOU'RE WEAK  
__PATHETIC  
__WORTHLESS_

The voice snarled at him, disgusted and appalled. "Be quiet—this is _your_ fault anyway," he shot back under his breath. It responded with a low growl that quickly faded into the back of his mind when Rin turned to smile innocently at him.

Humiliated, Amaimon lowered his eyes to his stained sleeve.

How was something like this possible? He was bitten in his dreams by a monster that his missing memories had created to compensate for a lack of a past. At least, Amaimon had convinced himself that the creature wasn't real—merely a figment of his imagination. But, this wound...it had bitten him in the exact spot during his nightmare. He could still feel its teeth digging into his flesh, grinding against bone.

With a shudder, he shook his head to clear the memory, but the sensation stayed with him, vivid and painful.

Behemoth squirmed uncomfortably in his snug grasp. Amaimon released him, not realizing how hard he was clinging to the little animal. He darted in as soon as Rin opened the door to their bedroom. Yukio continued down the hall without so much as a glance back at them.

It wasn't difficult to tell which bed belonged to which brother—even for someone as unfamiliar with their personalities as Amaimon. Rin's half of the room was a disorderly mess, with manga books piled on the floor and discarded clothes strewn about everywhere. Yukio, however, had neatly made his bed. His desk was covered with meticulous notes and a large computer monitor. Amaimon pushed aside Rin's blanket and sat on the edge of his bed. Kuro hopped down from the mattress to wrestle with Behemoth.

"So, uh, what happened?" Rin asked, nodding to the bloodstain as he sat beside him.

_GO ON  
__TELL HIM_

He opened his mouth to respond, but the monster, its voice echoing and scornful, silenced him. What was he supposed to say? _I was attacked by a monster in my dreams and, somehow, a small part of the wounds I received transferred to my waking life. _Amaimon couldn't tell him that—he could hardly believe it himself.

The voice roared with laughter, and it took everything he had to control his raging temper.

_WHAT'S WRONG?  
__AFRAID HE'LL CALL YOU MAD?  
__WORRIED HE WON'T LIKE YOU ANYMORE?  
__BUT I'M NOT REAL AMAIMON_

Rin noticed the apprehension in his silence. "It's okay, Amaimon—you can tell me. We're friends, remember?"

_FRIENDS?  
__LIAR  
__I AM YOUR ONLY FRIEND  
__KILL HIM_

Something pulled hard on Amaimon's emotions, steering his thoughts, making him irrationally furious. The very sound of the word '_friends_' overshadowed everything he felt, and a spasm of anger rippled across his face. "I'm not your friend," he spat, glaring.

Undaunted by his almost instant rage, Rin only laughed. "Of course you are! You just don't remember-"

"You're right—I _don't_ remember," he said abruptly, cutting him short. "So how do I know you're not lying to me?"

He accepted the verbal abuse with nothing but a soft smile. "You don't. You just have to trust me." Amaimon's eyes widened slightly, startled by his kindness. His fury slowly began to wane.

_FEED ME_

And just like that, it was back, slamming into him, making his head spin. He leaned toward Rin, as if something had taken complete control of his body. An undeniable, violent urge to tear into his neck overcame him. Amaimon struggled to fight it, to resist, but he didn't know how, and the look of confusion the other male gave him only served to further scatter his incoherent thoughts. He pushed Rin down on to the bed, baring his teeth, a deep, guttural growl rumbling in the back of his throat against his will.

It sounded just like the _monster_.

He felt sick, disgusted, as though something dead was slithering over his naked skin.

_Stop!_ As soon as the thought registered, Amaimon regained control of himself. He sat back, cradling his head, disorientated by the sudden disappearance of the presence in his head. Eventually, he released the breath he was holding and lowered his arms.

"Amaimon..." He looked up unintentionally at the sound of his name, and locked eyes with Rin. He didn't seem repulsed or angry or offended—just worried. "Is everything okay? Do you want to talk?" He shook his head, refusing to explain his tasteless behavior. "That's okay." Amaimon was utterly shocked when Rin gave him a brilliant smile. "You can tell me when you're ready."

His breath caught in his throat. "Why?"

"Why what?" He chuckled. "I told you—we're friends! I'm not going to force anything out of you. I trust you to tell me when you're ready."

"Trust _me_?"

He nodded once. "Of course."

Amaimon felt himself relax, felt the tension leaving his face, felt the monster recede further into the back of his subconscious. It was almost as if the closer he was to Rin, the more he listened to that gentle voice, the easier it was to resist the voice in his head, the more distant it became. "Then... I'll trust you too."

He shifted his weight on the bed and accidentally brushed his fingertips against Rin's. The beast let out another growl, sickened by the contact, but it was barely audible to Amaimon. He took his hand gently, entwining their fingers, and finally silencing the monster. Immediately, Rin blushed and pulled his hand away, massaging the back of his neck nervously. Amaimon slid his hand across the bedsheets as he moved closer, touching him again, causing the pink color that dusted his cheeks to darken.

"Rin," Amaimon called his name, forcing them to make eye contact, and almost melted into his clueless, blue gaze. Everything about him was so perfect; his hair, his toned body, his tender voice, even his scent. Rin exuded innocence to an astonishing level—an innocence that he craved for himself, that he wanted to selfishly claim.

If being _this_ close to him caused the monster in his head to flee, what would happen if he moved closer? What would happen if they kissed?

Amaimon desperately wanted to find out.

**. . .**

His insides tightened and his stomach knotted as Amaimon's hand touched his.

Rin knew what the demon king was doing, what his actions were leading up to, and he wasn't ready for it. Yes, he liked Amaimon—it felt like he was instinctively attracted to him—and he seemed to spark an unfamiliar, inexplicable need within him

A month ago, he wouldn't dare think about Amaimon like this. But this new Amaimon was...magnificent, lovely, _cute_. He was emotional and expressive; his short, green brow twisting up as he pouted, or sinking down as he frowned, or knitting together as he fell into his thoughts. His touch was gentle and hesitant, and Rin loved everything about him, even the cyan hue of his eyes and the long lashes that bordered them.

Even so, he wasn't certain if _this_ was what he wanted.

Logic told him not to give in to these spontaneous emotions, this lust. It wasn't love, merely infatuation; after all, this was a _demon king_, the very one who tried to kill him just a short time ago. He couldn't grow to love someone like _that_ in only a few days.

...Then again, Rin didn't really respond well to logic.

He wanted to back away as the earth king leaned closer, but he didn't. Amaimon's hand traveled further up his arm, black nails gently raking against his skin, making him shiver. They were so close now—he could feel the demon's breath on his lips, smell the faint scent of a blue raspberry lollipop. Their noses touched, and Rin felt himself teetering on the edge of his bed. There was nowhere for him to go now—he was trapped between falling on the floor and kissing Amaimon.

"S-Stop," he said, pressing his hand against the demon's lips to keep him from trying anything—and to keep himself from giving in to his impulsive urges.

Yukio suddenly opened the door, interrupting them. In a panic, Rin scrambled to his feet, tripping over his forgotten blanket and backing clumsily into his desk. His brother raised a brow at him as he placed down an armful of medical supplies. "You okay, nii-san?"

Amaimon sat casually on the bed, nibbling his thumb, his expression stoic and distant.

"U-Uh, ye-yeah." He cleared his throat awkwardly to rid his voice of its stutter. "I'm fine."

He let out a sigh, shaking his head, and rolled his desk chair over to Rin's bed. "Alright, Amaimon," he said, sitting down. "Let's see."

Hesitantly, Amaimon's shrugged his injured arm out of the top of his yukata, wary of Yukio's hands and the strange things he had brought with him. The demon king had three deep puncture wounds on the top and underside of his upper arm. Rin thought they looked oddly similar to a picture of a bite he had seen during exorcist classes.

Yukio, brow knit in concentration, rotated Amaimon's arm as he examined it, wiping away small amounts of blood as they emerged from his twisting. "How did you get this?"

"I don't know." Though he kept his face unreadable, Amaimon's voice was uneasy. It was obvious that he was hiding something. Yukio gave him a flat glance, but it only encouraged the demon to remain silent.

"It looks like a demon bite," Rin mused aloud, tilting his head.

Yukio raised his eyes to his brother, startled that he had guessed something correctly. "That's right—I'm impressed, nii-san. I didn't think you paid attention in class."

Rin gave him an offended scowl. "I pay attention sometimes!"

"I don't doubt that, nii-san," he responded sarcastically, turning his attention back to Amaimon. "You're fine. As long as we keep it clean and covered, the wound should heal in a few days."

The half-demon narrowed his eyes at his brother and stuck his tongue out at the back of his head. Amaimon let out a small laugh at the sight. Astonished by the sound, both Okumura twins stared at him with wide eyes. The oddly effusive expression was quickly wiped from his face and he averted his gaze, covering his mouth with his free hand.

_He's adorable._ A smile instantly brightened Rin's features. "You should laugh more—it's cute."

Amaimon glared at the wall, a light pink blush appearing faintly on his cheeks. He pressed his lips together tightly, smothering a growl. Rin couldn't help but laugh.

"Since when did you find _Amaimon_ cute, nii-san?" There was a bite to Yukio's tone that didn't go unnoticed.

"N-None of your business!" Rin flushed, folded his arms against his chest, and pouted. He contented himself with watching silently as his brother finished wrapping Amaimon's arm in a clean bandage.

When Yukio was done, he gathered the supplies he brought and left the room without a word. Amaimon examined the bandage, picking at the edges curiously. "Rin?"

"Yeah?" He sat on the bed beside the earth king, remembering to keep his distance.

He hesitated, rubbing his hand up and down his injured arm. "...If I told you I heard a voice in my head, would you call me crazy?" Amaimon looked up, locking eyes with him.

Rin held his gaze. "What do you mean?"

"There's this voice that...talks to me sometimes. I had a dream last night that it attacked me..." He shuddered at the memory, and it didn't seem like he was going to continue.

"Is it a demon?"

Amaimon's eyes widened. "Yeah—a big monster that looks like a lizard. How did you know?"

Something in his voice sent icy chills down his spine. If this demon—or whatever it was—frightened Amaimon _this_ much...

He had to tell Yukio. His younger brother knew far more about demons than he did and, if in fact Amaimon was being attacked by something he couldn't see and this _wasn't_ a figment of his imagination, they needed to do something about it, before... This small wound was just the beginning. If Amaimon was killed because of this _thing_ and Rin did nothing to stop it, he would never be able to forgive himself.

But he couldn't say any of that out loud—it might make the earth king even more anxious. Instead, he dismissed his question and told him what he needed to hear. "I don't think you're crazy, Amaimon."

He inclined his head, narrowing his eyes incredulously. "You don't?"

"Of course not." Rin gently tugged the yukata up to cover his bare shoulder and smiled, meeting his cerulean eyes again. "But, from now on, you have to promise you'll talk to me. I'm your best friend—I won't judge you or turn you away. So, when you're ready to talk, don't be afraid of me."

Amaimon stared at him blankly, the expression in his eyes unreadable. He grew nervous and turned his attention to the bandage around his arm, poking at it tentatively. Before long, Yukio returned. He walked over to his closet with a quick, long stride and yanked his uniform jacket off its hanger.

**. . .**

"Hey, Yukio!" Rin abruptly stood from the bed and grabbed his brother's elbow to keep him from leaving.

"I'm late, nii-san. Can this wait?"

"Not really." He lowered his voice to a dull whisper and Amaimon could no longer hear what he was saying.

Yukio glared over his twin's shoulder at him. The mingled look of horror and concern that crossed his face as Rin continued to speak in mumbled words made him uncomfortable. He knew Rin would tell Yukio about his problem—and why shouldn't he? If the monster could hurt him like this, he could only imagine what it would eventually learn to do to others. Regardless, he was relieved that Rin took his nightmare seriously and only slightly troubled by how Yukio would handle it.

"Hey, Amaimon—do me a favor and wait for me in the kitchen, okay?" Rin gave him a playful wink. "You can help me make breakfast!"

"Are you going to make something sweet?"

All the emotion vanished from his face with a short, annoyed huff. "Yes, Amaimon, I'll make something sweet."

"Good." He nodded his approval and left the room, closing the door softly behind him.

Alone in the empty hallway, he sighed through his nose, lingering outside the door, remembering Rin's smile curving his eyes, his fingers on his arm, the scent of his breath. Despite having an unexplainable wound and a voice in his head that wanted him to kill his friends, he somehow felt elated, content, relaxed.

With another wistful sigh, he started for the kitchen. Almost immediately, something from the recesses of his mind jerked him back violently, causing his head to ache and his vision to swirl.

_STOP  
__GO BACK_

"Why?" he snapped, irritated and startled. His body jerked again and he gave in, returning to the brothers's bedroom.

_LISTEN_

Curious, Amaimon quietly leaned against the door and pressed his ear to it.

"This isn't good, nii-san," Yukio was saying. There was a brief pause as he typed something into his computer. "From the research I've done, it's said that when a demon loses his heart, his mind is ripped in two: the host and the remnants of the demon. The host takes precedence over the body, obviously, but, the remaining consciousness of the demon will try to take command of it—basically, they fight over the body. Sometimes the demon materializes and eats its host. Sometimes the host ends his own life to escape his descent into madness."

"Then...that means..." Rin's voice was so soft that Amaimon had to strain to hear. It sounded haunted and sad.

"Yes. Amaimon's wound _is_ self-inflicted—either by himself or by this voice he supposedly hears in his head. He's a demon king, so the thing trapped inside him is going to be several times more powerful than what we have recorded. It will probably expedite...whatever happens internally when a demon loses his heart."

"What should we do?"

"For today, I want you to stay home from normal classes and take him back to the doctor-"

Amaimon didn't understand what they were discussing, nor did he care. Losing interest, he turned and made his way toward the kitchen again, ignoring the protesting snarls in his head. He sat down in the chair that he had moved the day before. Amaimon rested his head on his chin and watched Behemoth and Kuro sleeping peacefully on the dining table with a bored face. "Hey," he called out to the disembodied voice of the monster. "Can we talk?"

_WHAT DO YOU WANT?_

"Who are you?"

_I AM YOU_

He rolled his eyes. "Right—I understand that. Do you have a name?" The voice grew silent, almost sullen. "I guess you don't remember either...do you?" Nothing. "I have to call you something..." His voice trailed off as he thought of a name that suited the lizard-like being. "I'll call you Ghost—because I can hear you, but I can't see you." Ghost growled his displeasure at being named, but made no further attempt to complain.


	6. Chapter 6

_"This isn't good, nii-san," Yukio was saying. There was a brief pause as he typed something into his computer. "From the research I've done, it's said that when a demon loses his heart, his mind is ripped in two: the host and the remnants of the demon. The host takes precedence over the body, obviously, but, the remaining consciousness of the demon will try to take command of it—basically, they fight over the body. Sometimes the demon materializes and eats its host. Sometimes the host ends his own life to escape his descent into madness."_

_"Then...that means..." Rin's voice was so soft that Amaimon had to strain to hear. It sounded haunted and sad._

_"Yes. Amaimon's wound is self-inflicted—either by himself or by this voice he supposedly hears in his head. He's a demon king, so the thing trapped inside him is going to be several times more powerful than what we have recorded. It will probably expedite...whatever happens internally when a demon loses his heart."_

* * *

**Chapter Six  
****. . .  
**_Trapped_

* * *

**Amaimon wasn't thrilled to discover** they would be going back to the doctor after breakfast, but he did seem eager to get out of the dormitory. Since they haven't had a chance to go shopping yet, Rin let him pick an outfit from his closet. Unfortunately, the demon king didn't have a good grasp of the word 'share'.

"What the hell did you do!?" Amaimon had picked out one of his most expensive pairs of jeans and _clawed_ at the denim, giving it a new, fashionable—yet entirely unnecessary—ripped and frayed design. He had done something similar to the shirt: tearing the black fabric in the center to reveal the white undershirt he wore. A green belt hanging loosely from his waist completed his outfit.

He shrugged a shoulder, unconcerned by the tattered condition of his clothes. "I like them better this way." He glanced down at himself. "It looks good."

"That's not the point!" Rin snapped. "Those are _my_ clothes!"

"Friends share," he said casually, tucking a lock of green hair behind his pointed ear. "You _are_ my friend, right Rin?"

The excuse made him furious. "We're not going to be friends for long if you keep ruining my stuff!"

"I didn't ruin them—I made them better."

Rin pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a sharp sigh. "Fine! You know what—fine! Whatever, let's just go!" As Amaimon passed, he noticed something furry—and oddly familiar—sticking out from a knot on his belt. "Is that your tail?" He had never seen it before and the sight surprised him, replacing his anger.

"Yeah—why?"

"Why is it wrapped around you like that?" Rin wrapped his tail around his torso when it needed to be hidden, but he didn't _tie_ it into a _knot_.

The demon unwrapped his tail and stared at it sullenly, dragging his thumb across the short fur, his cheerful mood gone in an instant. "I don't know what to do with it," he admitted softly. "I asked the doctor to cut it off, but he said he can't."

_C-Cut it off!?_ Rin winced at the thought. "Why would you want to do _that_?" He dropped it and looked up at the half-demon with a stoic expression. His tail landed with a lifeless _thump_, and Rin understood why he didn't want it. "You...can't move it..."

"No—I can't. It's more troublesome then anything. I don't see why I have to keep it."

Imperfect as his understanding of demons was, Rin was certain of one thing: tails were awesome. "There are tons of reasons to keep it! I'll show you!" He pulled the earth king back to the bed and forced him to sit. Carefully, he picked up the green appendage and examined it. The tuft was matted with thick tangles—probably from being dragged on the floor.

_Perfect._

Amaimon tensed, clearly uncomfortable with having his tail handled by another demon. "What are you doing?"

Rin flashed him a smile—an attempt to assuage the demon's anxiety—and stood. "You'll see!" Amaimon inclined his head curiously as he watched Rin dig through the various contents of his desk's top drawer. "Where did I put it? ...Oh! Ta-Daa!" He held up his brush with a triumphant grin.

"Fascinating..." Amaimon quickly lost interest and turned away.

With a light chuckle, Rin sat beside him and held out his hand. "Let me see your tail."

He clutched it to his chest and shied away from his hand. "Why? What are you going to do to it?"

"Just trust me—You'll like it."

Hesitantly, he placed his tail in Rin's hand. He pressed the brush's bristles gently on the length of the tail and, after giving Amaimon an evil grin, dragged it down, against the fur's natural growth. The demon shuddered violently and ripped his tail out of his grasp. "What the hell was that for!?"

"For ruining my favorite jeans!"

He shuddered again and shook his head, trying to rid himself of the dreadful sensation. "That's mean! You're a bully!"

Rin couldn't help but laugh at his response. "Okay, okay," he mumbled between breaths, "I'm sorry—I won't do it again." He held out his hand, but Amaimon glared incredulously at him and refused to move. "C'mon Amaimon—I was just kidding!" he said, feeling that familiar pang of guilt.

"_Don't do it again_."

He sighed. "Okay—I won't."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Rin was relieved when Amaimon tentatively placed it back in the half-demon's hand. Careful to follow the fur's natural growth this time, he gently brushed the length of his tail. Amaimon shivered slightly, but quickly relaxed as he continued. Once he assumed his sensitive tail was used to the rough feeling of the bristles, Rin began to work out the tangles trapped in its green tuft.

It felt strangely surreal holding such a vulnerable part of Amaimon, weaving his fingers through the voluminous fur, trying not to pull too hard as he brushed it. Rin could barely believe this was real; that a demon—the same one who wanted to kill him—would ever grow to trust him enough to let him touch something so fragile.

He now understood why Yukio liked to brush his tail so often.

**. . .**

Amaimon closed his eyes, enthralled by the oddly pleasing sensation of having his tail groomed. "See? It doesn't hurt." He was so distracted by Rin's hypnotic movements that all he could manage in response was another shiver and a satisfied purr.

Just as he was about to drift off, Rin stopped. He looked up to find him returning the brush to his desk. "Why did you stop?"

"U-Uh," he blushed slightly. "Well... We still have to go to the doctor, and I have cram school later, so...we should get going soon."

Amaimon picked up his tail as he stood and stroked it, surprised by how soft it felt now. "Will you brush my tail more tonight?"

His blush darkened. "S-Sure..."

_NO  
__NO DOCTOR  
__NO TAIL BRUSHING  
__I CAN'T STAND IT_

Amaimon let out a quiet, exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes at Ghost's retorts. The beast was always quick to disappear when Rin touched him, but came back just as fast and twice as irritating.

Rin dug out a key and used it on the lock of his bedroom door. When he opened it, he saw the endless hallway from the hospital in place of the dusty dormitory hallway. Amaimon was unconcerned—strange things like this seemed to happen often—and followed Rin through the door, still fidgeting absentmindedly with his tail.

"You should probably keep that under your shirt so no one can see it."

Amaimon glanced down as Rin pointed to his tail. "Why? Now that it's nice and soft, I don't want to hide it."

"Because the tail is a demon's weak-" he suddenly stopped, eyes wide.

"Because what?" He tilted his head, curious. Why did he mention demons? Demons like Ghost? Ghost had a tail, didn't he?

_MY TAIL IS STRONGER THAN YOURS  
__YOUR TAIL NEEDS TO BE HIDDEN BECAUSE IT'S WEAK_

Amaimon bit his lip hard, suppressing the urge to growl at the voice in his head. Rin obviously didn't mean he should hide his tail because it was weak.

...Right?

"U-Uh, w-well...Wh-What I meant to say...w-was...uhh..." Rin stumbled over his words, scrambling for coherency. "...O-Oh! You don't want anyone to step on it, right? A-And it might get tangled again!"

He remembered all the times he accidentally stepped on his tail and the intense, almost unimaginable pain that came with it. As much as he enjoyed touching it, he didn't want it to lose its new, silky texture. "You're right." He carefully tucked it under his white shirt before following Rin further down the hall.

They stopped at a seemingly indistinguishable door. A moment after Rin knocked—the doctor was _always_ slow to respond, apparently—it opened and he smiled in greeting at the two, tail hanging lazily at his feet. "Hello Amaimon and...pizza boy."

"I'm _not_ a pizza boy," he said firmly. "My name is Rin."

"That's a nice name," he responded, scratching the side of his head.

An uncomfortable silence fell over them as they waited for the doctor to stop scratching his hair and step aside. Rin glanced back at Amaimon, shaking his head in disbelief. "Is he always like this?" He shrugged. "Hey, uh, doctor guy," he turned back to the man in the doorway with an irritated frown. "We have an appointment, remember? My brother called and told you about Amaimon's...problem."

"Ah, that's right—he did. Come on in." He pushed the door open and the two followed him inside.

Instantly, Amaimon was surrounded by a familiar antiseptic scent and the indistinct haze of sounds that always seemed to hang in the background here. Ghost, emphasizing his displeasure at coming back to the hospital, started growling and thrashing, beating against the palpable walls of his mind, trying desperately to escape his prison and take control of the body they shared.

_Stop it!_ But his feeble command only served to make Ghost's snarls louder, deafening. Their internal struggle was starting to affect him: his head throbbed, his vision swirled, his ears rang painfully, his stomach churned uneasily. _Please, stop!_ Overwhelmed, Amaimon resorted to begging. _I'll leave_—_j__ust stop! Ghost, please!_ He clutched his head and hunched forward, groaning and gritting his teeth as he futilely fought back the beast's unbearable attempts.

_HATE THIS PLACE!  
__HATE_

"Amaimon?" Rin touched his shoulder, turning Ghost's roars into soft, muffled growls. He stumbled slightly, dizzy and confused, but Rin steadied him. "Are you alright?"

Amaimon found himself trembling in his arms. When had he grown to be so weak? He pushed away and straightened himself. "...I'm fine," he said, his voice betraying him.

_YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN WEAK  
__PATHETIC_

An eerie chuckle echoed in the back of his mind. Ghost was becoming increasingly tenacious; quickly realizing how easy it would be to incapacitate him, to seize control of his body, with Rin not around to save him. Amaimon silently hoped the doctor could do something to help.

"You two can, ah, wait in here." When they caught up to the doctor again, he led them to a small side room with a round table and four chairs. "I'll be right back."

With a loud, exhausted sigh, Rin flopped down in one of the chairs. Amaimon, tense and apprehensive, slowly paced the length of the room. Rin watched him, brow knit together with concern. "Hey," he started gently, giving him a soft, reassuring smile. "Everything is going to be okay. You'll get better soon! And, until then, I'll be here to protect you!" His smile melted into a smug grin and he puffed out his chest.

Amaimon frowned. That was impossible. Rin couldn't see or hear Ghost. No matter how powerful or confident he was, he couldn't protect him from a beast who claimed they were the same person. But, before he could think of a response that wouldn't ruin Rin's confidence, the doctor returned. He was holding a syringe filled with a clear liquid.

"This should help with that, ah..._voice_ problem of yours, Amaimon." He paused to push his glasses further up his nose. "Roll up your sleeve, please." He complied, and was given the injection just above the bandage that covered his bite wound. "It usually takes a minute before it kicks in." The doctor shuffled his feet nervously. "...You know the way out. Call me if anything, ah, _strange_ happens." He left quickly, black tail wagging behind him.

Amaimon could feel the medicine move through his veins, up his neck and down his arms. It was invigorating and warm at first, quieting Ghost, putting his mind at ease, but, soon, it started to tingle uncomfortably. And then it began to burn. He winced and glanced down at his arm.

"Well? How do you feel?" Rin asked, chin resting in his hands.

"I feel-" Ghost suddenly screamed, cutting him short.

The room spun beneath him—around and around and around—and all he could hear over the monster's shrieks and violent thrumming of his heart was his panicked, ragged breathing. Rin called for the doctor, but his voice sounded muffled and distant. The next thing Amaimon knew, he was sinking, slowly falling into a dark abyss.

Deeper and deeper...

Until...

* * *

When Amaimon opened his eyes, he found himself on the floor of the infirmary's lobby. The lights were off, but he could still make out the distinct outlines of familiar furniture. He tried to sit upright and realized he couldn't move his body.

No, not his body...

He looked down, recognizing the scaly, green skin, the oversized hands, the sharp, maroon claws—he was Ghost. He opened his mouth to scream, but a roar came out instead, his breath misting in front of him.

Ghost moved, creeping forward slowly, dragging its massive tail behind it. The creature rounded a corner and Amaimon saw Rin cowering on the floor, trapped alone in an empty hallway. He immediately knew what the monster wanted him to see.

_Don't! Please!_ His pleas were ignored. All he could do was watch helplessly as Ghost grabbed Rin in one of its large hands. _No!_ Rin struggled, a blue fire covering the majority of his body and tail, but, just like Amaimon, he was too scared to break free.

It opened its long jaw and placed Rin on its tongue. Amaimon could taste him—the salt from the sweat on his brow, the dry fabric of his clothes. He could feel the blue flames rising, futilely attacking Ghost's mouth. He could hear Rin crying as he desperately writhed against its tongue. Dread and disgust rolled through him, but there was nothing he could do.

_No! Please, no!_ Despite his protesting cries, Ghost began to bite down. Hot blood filled his mouth and, as much as he hated to admit it, it tasted good—sweet and smooth and delicious. Rin eventually stopped moving and his legs were torn from his body. The fire died, becoming nothing more than thin tendrils of smoke. Ghost tossed his head back.

And swallowed.

* * *

Amaimon shot upright with a yelp, his head spinning from his abrupt movements. When his vision cleared, he realized he was back in his sick room, brilliant light shining through the open window beside his bed. "Amaimon, are you okay?" He was relieved to see Rin sitting in a chair beside his bed. "You... You're crying..." He reached out and gently wiped the tears from his cheeks with the back of his hand. "Did you have a bad dream?"

The sight of his sick room frightened him, reminded him of Rin's disgusting death. He didn't want to be here. "I want to leave..."

Rin was surprised by the urgency in his voice. "Are you sure? Do you feel okay?"

"_I want to leave!_"

"O-Okay!" He stood and offered his hand. "Can you stand?"

Amaimon ignored Rin's offer—he didn't want to appear any weaker than he already was. "I don't need any help." He stumbled awkwardly as he stood, but managed to steady himself without falling, and without Rin.

"Let's go back home, Amaimon."

_FEED ME_

Much to his dismay, Ghost was still present in his mind, and as powerful as ever. Amaimon shivered and wrapped his arms around himself. The injection hadn't worked. Was there something—_anything_—that could protect him from Ghost's influence?

The monster laughed in response to his thoughts.

* * *

**. . .  
**_A Few Hours Later_

* * *

For once, Rin sat at his desk and tried to focus on his schoolwork, but his mind was too distracted by Amaimon. The demon had been different—distant and solemn—ever since their return from the infirmary. (He even refused another session of tail brushing.) He sat quietly beside him at Yukio's computer, mindlessly clicking away at random things on the Internet.

Rin had to forcibly keep himself from asking if he was feeling well. He didn't get a clear response the first dozen times he asked, and he didn't want to further irritate the earth king. But it was difficult for him to stop worrying, especially since Amaimon would be alone in the dormitory as he attended exorcist classes for the next four hours.

As if on cue, an incessant beeping from his phone demanded his attention. _Don't be late_—a friendly reminder from Yukio...who's class he was failing.

He sighed and closed his textbook. "Amaimon, I have to go." He gathered his things and slipped his sword's strap over his shoulder.

"Okay," Amaimon stood with him. "Where are we going?"

He frowned. "Um, actually... I have to go to class, and you have to stay here."

"...By myself?"

"Yeah. B-But it's just for a few hours! Watch some television and I'll be back before you know it!" He turned to leave, awkwardly aware that the demon was still following him. "Amaimon," he sighed again, "you _can't_ go."

"Why _not_?" He pouted and Rin was almost tempted to let him tag along.

"Because this class is only for students, and you're not a student." He used his infinity key on his door and stepped into the cram school's hallway. Rin turned back when he heard the demon follow. "Come _on_, Amaimon—I'm going to be late."

"I... I don't want to be alone." The piteous sound of his voice made him hesitate.

He shook the thoughts out of his mind. Amaimon _couldn't_ go to class with him—the other exwires would recognize him, and, no matter how he looked at the situation, it would end poorly for both of them. "You'll be fine." He placed his hands gently on the earth king's shoulders and pushed him back into the dormitory bedroom. Amaimon shook his head, clearly unconvinced. "Okay, how about we make a deal? You stay here until I get back, and I'll make you something _super_ sweet for dinner!"

Something flashed across his face, and he nodded stiffly. "Okay."

"Good. See you later tonight." He softly closed the door and hurried to class. "Hi, guys! Look—I'm not late!" Rin entered the classroom with his usual, friendly greeting, but froze when he noticed the fearful looks the other exwires were giving him. Were they _still_ afraid of him? That was ridiculous; they didn't have anything to be afraid of—he would _never_ hurt his friends.

"Rin..." Bon pointed, his glare vicious and intense. "What the _fuck_ is _he_ doing here!?"

"Huh? Who?" Rin glanced over his shoulder.

...And met Amaimon's stoic, cerulean eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

_Amaimon could feel the medicine move through his veins, up his neck and down his arms. It was invigorating and warm at first, quieting Ghost, putting his mind at ease, but, soon, it started to tingle uncomfortably. And then it began to burn. He winced and glanced down at his arm._

_"Well? How do you feel?" Rin asked, chin resting in his hands._

_"I feel-" Ghost suddenly screamed, cutting him short._

_The room spun beneath him—around and around and around—and all he could hear over the monster's shrieks and violent thrumming of his heart was his panicked, ragged breathing. Rin called for the doctor, but his voice sounded muffled and distant. The next thing Amaimon knew, he was sinking, slowly falling into a dark abyss._

_Deeper and deeper..._

_Until..._

* * *

**Chapter Seven  
****. . .  
**_This Isn't Me_

* * *

**Startled by the demon's sudden** presence, Rin yelped and jumped back. "_ARGH!_ Amaimon, what are you doing here!? You said you would stay back at the dorm! Why did you follow me!?" he shouted, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him slightly.

He nonchalantly shrugged under Rin's grasp, unfazed by his outburst. "I changed my mind. I decided I would rather spend time with Rin than eat something sweet."

Rin could feel his cheeks burning as he blushed. He quickly glanced behind him, noticing Bon was trying to tilt his head to see what they were doing, and tried to shove the demon back into the hallway. Amaimon refused to move. "T-That's adorable, but you _need_ to leave. _Now_!"

"I don't want to," he said idly—and effortlessly—walking into the classroom, dragging the half-demon with him.

Bon moved to stand protectively in front of Koneko, who trembled slightly and clutched his injured arm weakly to his chest. "Rin, what are you doing with a _demon king_!?" He flinched at the ferocity in Bon's voice. "Didn't he try to _kill_ you?"

"Ah...w-well," he laughed awkwardly and scratched the side of his face, frantically searching his racing mind for a decent excuse. "That's...uh... I..." He couldn't come up with anything.

Amaimon stepped forward, his cheeks puffed out childishly. "I would _never_ hurt Rin!" he said firmly. "He's my best friend!"

"Best friend...?" Bon was stunned by those words, but his anger returned quickly. "What the hell do you mean _best friend_?" Though he asked a question, he didn't seem to want a response from him, and turned to Rin. "Please tell me he's joking."

He sighed heavily—there was no point in hiding now. "Amaimon lost his memories," he explained slowly. "And... I'm supposed to watch him until he gets better." Rin would take all the blame for the demon—it was best not to get Yukio involved.

Bon relaxed, realizing that Amaimon wasn't there to attack them again. "So... He lost _all_ his memories?" Rin nodded. "You don't remember attacking our camp?" Bon asked the demon.

Amaimon, still glaring, folded his arms with an offended huff. "I wouldn't attack anyone."

"Rin, is he... Is he joining our class?" Shiemi spoke up shyly. She stepped back with a startled gasp when Amaimon turned to her, as if recognizing his face.

"S-Shiemi..." Rin wanted to tell her no—that Yukio would never put his students in danger like that—but stopped himself, eyes locked on Amaimon. Dread instantly rolled through him. The demon was eyeing Shiemi hungrily, that daunting, familiar shade of red seeping back into his pupils.

**. . . **

The petite, blonde girl—the one Rin called Shiemi—was _beautiful_. Her hair curved gently under her chin, its fair shade accentuating the emerald of her eyes. She had a sinfully curvaceous body, and he found himself perversely intrigued by her. He wanted to touch her hair, taste her skin, kiss her lips, sink his teeth into her delicate flesh...

Ghost growled huskily at the sight of her, and, for once, Amaimon agreed with the monster's desires.

_HER  
__I WANT HER  
__FEED ME_

If... If he killed this girl to satiate Ghost's abhorrent appetite...would it leave him alone? Disappear back into whatever wretched corner of his mind created it until it wanted to feed again?

Would it finally stop trying to eat Rin?

_YEEESS_

The voice purred, pleased by Amaimon's weakening resolve. He could feel the monster trying to take control of him, and he didn't fight it—not yet, anyway.

He stepped forward, and the girl, snapping out of her thoughts, stumbled away. Before he could get any closer to her, someone grabbed him from behind and whirled him around. The student with the streak in his hair—Bon, he recalled—landed a hard punch on his temple.

That was all Ghost needed.

Amaimon tried desperately to resist it, to smother the creature's presence, but it was far too powerful.

An intense, hot, tingling sensation erupted in his limbs, and that was it. Ghost had completely taken control of Amaimon.

_No! Stop_—_this is _my_ body! Get out!_ The monster laughed wildly and a small, disturbing chuckle came out from his mouth.

_YOU ARE WEAK  
__YOU ARE MINE_

Amaimon's body straightened against his will and turned to Bon. The student took a nervous step back, but maintained his intense glare.

_ALL MINE  
__I'LL PROVE IT_

He tossed his head back and roared, the sound causing Bon to drop to his knees, clutching his ears. Amaimon tackled him and snapped his teeth, trying to take a greedy bite out of his neck. Bon was impressively strong for a human, thankfully, and he was able to hold Ghost back with an arm, though he was quickly weakening. A bald student behind him suddenly started shouting something Amaimon couldn't understand. The words made him feel dizzy, but they had little effect on Ghost, as he continued to squirm and bite, coming within an inch of Bon's supple flesh.

"Bon!" Rin grabbed him around his waist and tried to pry him off. "Have you lost your mind, Amaimon!? Stop it!" His touch made Ghost snarl uncomfortably.

_Rin! Help me, please!_ Amaimon felt his mouth twist into a sick grin. He tossed his head back, bashing it against Rin's nose and forcing him to release his grip. Ghost immediately returned to attacking Bon, who barely had an instant to recover.

The beast apparently forgot about his free hand, and Amaimon was punched repeatedly. Pain broke out across his jaw, but Ghost didn't seem to feel it. Eventually, the combination of punching and chanting was enough to knock Amaimon off. Bon quickly stumbled to his feet.

_Stop it!_ Amaimon tried again to take back control, but Ghost easily stopped his pathetic attempts.

Bon raised his fists in a fighting stance as Amaimon clambered awkwardly to his feet. Ghost dodged a punch and, slipping through his defenses, wrapped a hand around his throat. He picked him off the ground with ease and slammed him into the nearby wall, tightening his grip. Bon's face turned red.

"Amaimon, stop!" Ghost lazily inclined his head to the side, meeting Rin's concerned glare. He held a sword in his trembling hands, a faint, blue fire decorating its blade. The vaguely familiar sight made the beast furious. "Please, stop," he begged. "Don't make me do this!" Ghost only snorted.

"Rin... Get him...off..." Bon choked out, his writhing becoming weaker.

"L-Let him go!" Rin shouted, tears filling his eyes. "Amaimon!"

"Bon! Rin—do something!"

_Help me!_

"Nee, save Suguro!"

Tree branches exploded into existence from behind him, making him lose his grip on Bon. He collapsed to the floor, gasping wildly. Amaimon was shoved against the wall hard, a tangle of wood and limbs. Ghost growled in annoyance and forced Amaimon to wave his arm. Instantly, the branches receded, and his gaze was drawn back to the beautiful blonde. He licked his lips unconsciously as he walked toward her.

_MINE_

She completely froze, her entire body shaking violently.

Rin jumped in front of her, sword pointed at him. "I said _stop_! I don't want to hurt you!"

_It's Ghost, not me! Rin, please!_ Amaimon cried desperately, trying to get a small part of him past Ghost's barrier—something that would tell him he was trapped inside. He struggled again, wanting to lose himself in Rin's touch, fall into the warmth and safety of his arms... But Ghost was too overwhelming—he could do nothing but watch.

He was weak.

He was pathetic.

Ghost laughed ecstatically as Amaimon finally gave up.

He shoved Rin aside and picked up the paralyzed girl. Amaimon could feel her shallow breath on his face—sweet and gentle. The scent made his mouth water.

_ALL MINE_

As the beast tilted his head and leaned closer to her, he found himself wondering how delicious she tasted. He brushed his lips against her neck, enjoying the tantalizing flavor of her skin. She shivered under his touch, crying quietly. Amaimon opened his mouth to bite her...

And felt an intense, burning pain quickly travel down his spine. Ghost screeched and fled, causing his limbs to go numb.

Amaimon blacked out, dropping the blonde.

**. . .**

Yukio released the breath he was holding and lowered his rifle. Shima and Izumo quickly followed him into the classroom. Overwhelmed with relief at the sight of his brother, Rin fell to his knees, breathing ragged and body trembling. He glanced up as Izumo passed him to get to Shiemi. She glared, disgust shown plain on her face.

He averted his gaze, ashamed.

"Man, can't I leave you two alone for _ten_ minutes?" Shima shook his head as he crouched beside Bon and Koneko. "What happened?"

"Rin decided to bring his _best friend_ to show-and-tell." Bon coughed harshly, his voice raspy and faint.

"I... I-I didn't..." Speechless, Rin couldn't manage anything other than a few incoherent stutters.

"That tranquilizer won't last long on a powerful demon like Amaimon," Yukio paused and nudged the unconscious earth king with his foot. "Nii-san, take him to the training room. I'll be right there after I check on Moriyama and Suguro."

Rin did as his brother commanded, slowly sheathing his sword and scooping up Amaimon. He hesitated near Bon, wanting to apologize for his cowardice, for being unable to help him, but the Aria turned his head away, a furious scowl twisting his mouth down at the corners. The half-demon bit his bottom lip and decided it would be best not to say anything. He exited the room without a word, gaze cast down.

Shiemi was the only one who watched him leave.

In the training room, Rin laid Amaimon on a bench and sat down with his back against the nearby wall. He pulled his legs up to his chest, wrapped his arms around himself, and buried his face in his knees. He weaved a hand through his hair and pulled, the slight pain chasing away the tears that threatened to fall. Rin let out a shaky breath, trying to calm himself.

What happened back there? Why couldn't he help his friends? But... Amaimon was his friend too, wasn't he? No, of course not—he was just pretending to be Amaimon's friend to make his time here easier until Mephisto got back. So then... Why was he trying so hard to protect him? What was it about the demon king that made Rin act so illogically?

Rin stared at Amaimon, an arm hanging off the bench. He stood and gently took the demon's hand in his. He entwined their fingers, surprised by how warm and soft he felt—by how hard his heart pounded when they touched. Amaimon moaned and eased his eyes open. "Rin...?"

"Hey—welcome back," he said, smiling gently.

He sat up and glanced around, confused, and paused when he noticed their connected hands. His eyes lingered there for a moment before he looked up at Rin. "...It wasn't me," he said softly, voice barely audible. "It wasn't... There was nothing I could do. So I... I gave up." He pried his hand out of the half-demon's grasp and stared at it, as if he didn't recognize it anymore. "I tried...but it was too strong for me. I... I couldn't-"

"Amaimon," he called, placing a comforting hand in the demon's palm. "It's okay."

His brow scrunched together as he locked eyes with Rin again, his expression uncharacteristically sad. "It's _not_ okay," he countered. "I can't control myself."

Rin's smile broadened, a strange reaction Amaimon apparently hadn't expected. "But that wasn't you, remember?" The earth king's eyes widened in response. "It was the demon."

"How could you tell?"

He cradled Amaimon's face with both hands, tilting his head slightly so their foreheads almost touched. "Because I know who you are, Amaimon—I _know_ you wouldn't hurt anyone."

"You don't know who I am, Rin," his voice was distant and emotionless. "No one does."

"Then we'll find out who you are together." He gently pulled Amaimon's head into his chest, giving him a small hug. "I promise I'll do everything I can to protect you—so don't give up on yourself anymore...okay?" The demon nodded once and buried his face into Rin's uniform.

* * *

**. . .  
**_Later_

* * *

Yukio made his way to the training room with a quick, heavy stride, reloaded rifle slung over his shoulder—just in case. He opened the door and gestured for his older brother to step outside. Amaimon was seated on the bench, tense and solemn. He didn't look up when Yukio entered.

Rin slowly left the room, arms folded tightly across his chest and shoulders raised slightly in an uncomfortable, apprehensive posture. "Nii-san, tell me what happened." Yukio leaned against the closed door.

"Amaimon followed me to class and...lost control over the demon," Rin explained, eyes lowered to the floor. "He said he..._gave up_..."

Yukio shifted his weight and dug his phone out of his pocket. "That's it—I'm going to call Sir Pheles to come back and get him. Amaimon is _far_ too unstable."

"N-No!" Rin grabbed his phone, startling him.

"Nii-san!" Yukio finally lost his patience and shouted. "What's gotten into you!? Since when were you so protective of _Amaimon_? Have you forgotten what he's done to you!?"

His brother glared and shouted back. "No—I haven't! But he's _changed_, Yukio! He's not that person anymore!" He clenched his fists at his sides.

"Amaimon _isn't_ a person," he growled. "You're letting him take advantage of you, nii-san. You couldn't even protect Shiemi because of him!"

Rin opened his mouth to respond, but stopped. He frowned deeply, all the anger vanishing from his face. "You're right," he mumbled, "I couldn't do it—I couldn't hurt him... But, Yukio," he looked up at his brother, determination hardening his features. "_He's different now_. I know he is. Can you... Can you help him?"

"Help him!?" Yukio wanted to laugh at the absurdity of his request, but the desperate look in Rin's eyes silenced him.

"Please, Yukio!" He suddenly grabbed his hands, begging. "I think the medicine made it worse! I know you can help him! Please!"

He sighed heavily and shook his hands out of Rin's grasp. He could never refuse his brother, especially when he pleaded like this. "Fine," he said after a short pause. "I'll see what I can do. For now, I want you to stay with him. I'll be back once my class is over."

"T-Thanks!" he smiled, sniffling softly.

"Oh, here," Yukio removed the tranquilizer gun from his back and held it out. Rin—stubborn as ever—didn't take it. "Just in case he...'loses control' again."

He shook his head defiantly. "I don't need it."

"Take it anyway." Despite his protests, Yukio shoved the weapon into his arms and quickly walked away before his brother could start another argument.


	8. Chapter 8

_"How could you tell?"_

_He cradled Amaimon's face with both hands, tilting his head slightly so their foreheads almost touched. "Because I know who you are, Amaimon—I know you wouldn't hurt anyone."_

_"You don't know who I am, Rin," his voice was distant and emotionless. "No one does."_

_"Then we'll find out who you are together." He gently pulled Amaimon's head into his chest, giving him a small hug. "I promise I'll do everything I can to protect you—so don't give up on yourself anymore...okay?" The demon nodded once and buried his face into Rin's uniform._

* * *

**Chapter Eight  
****. . .  
**_Painkiller_

* * *

**Rin fidgeted anxiously with one** of the candles Shura had left, watching it roll around in the palm of his hand. He placed it down in a line with two identical ones, let out a slow breath to calm himself, and tried to focus on the outermost candles. The small, blue flames he pictured wouldn't come, so, gradually, he pushed harder, forcing the flames to burn hotter. But the wicks still wouldn't catch. Frustrated and impatient, Rin released everything he had onto the candles.

They burst into flames almost instantly, startling him.

He growled and pulled at his hair. It was no use—he was too distracted to concentrate.

Rin sighed again and fell back onto the cool floor, stretching his arms out, surrounded by his previous attempts. He tilted his head back and looked over at Amaimon. The demon stared thoughtfully at the wall, chewing on his thumb, a leg pulled up to his chest, his chin resting on his knee. He sat up, eyes never leaving the earth king.

Was this how Amaimon felt? Frustrated and powerless? Terrified at being unable to control himself? Never knowing when he'll accidentally hurt the people around him?

"Rin?" He flinched and met Amaimon's curious gaze suddenly inches away from his own. He had moved from his bench while the half-demon was lost in his thoughts. "What are you doing?" The earth king crouched down to get a better look at one of the melted candles.

"...Nothing important."

"I think...I've seen that blue fire somewhere before..." he spoke hesitantly, as if uncertain of his words. "Ghost recognized it too—it made him really mad."

"Uh... Who's Ghost?" He avoided the topic of his flames—it wasn't something he could easily explain to Amaimon in his current state.

He shrugged a shoulder. "I decided to name the lizard demon."

"Oh—the voice." Rin dug three more candles from out of the nearby sack. One more try wouldn't hurt. "Ghost, huh?" He lined them up on the floor in front of him. "I guess that fits..."

"Um..." Amaimon opened his mouth to speak, but stopped and pressed his lips together. Rin flashed him a small, reassuring smile before focusing on the wicks once again. Blue flames quickly sparked to life on the two candles, leaving the center untouched. He was impressed by how easily his fire came to him now that Amaimon was comfortably at his side. "Good job." Amaimon clapped.

He let out a nervous laugh, a slight blush dusting his cheeks. "T-Thanks! It's a lot harder than it looks."

"Can I try?"

That surprised him. "You? …I don't think it works like that-"

"I wanna try!" There was a slight whine in his voice.

Rin smiled, excited to share something with the demon. "Okay!" He set up three more candles and pointed. "You need to light these two, but not the middle one."

Amaimon stared intently at the candles, his face twisted with concentration as he tried to conjure a power he didn't have. Rin watched him for a moment, slightly amused. It seemed cruel to let him struggle knowing he wouldn't be able to do anything, so he decided to light the candles for him. But, as he started to focus on the wicks, Amaimon cried out and gripped his head. He leaned forward, forehead touching the ground, groaning with pain.

"No," he cried through gritted teeth. "No, stop! I won't do it! Get out of my head!" His body trembled violently as he desperately clawed at his temples.

"A-Amaimon!" Ignoring the barely lit candles, Rin scrambled over to him and roughly grabbed his shoulders, forcing him upright. "Amaimon! What's wrong? Can you hear me?"

The demon blinked repeatedly, slowly coming out of his reverie. He dropped his arms to his sides and lowered his gaze, a familiar expression of shame on his face. "Rin... Is it true? Did I...try to kill you?"

Guilt and regret and anger churned painfully in his chest. He tried to respond, but the words were lodged in his throat and he couldn't breathe.

He _hated_ this—helplessly watching Amaimon slowly grow fearful of himself. Rin wanted to see him smile, hear him laugh, know he trusted him enough to open up without hesitation. He didn't want the demon to be like him—lacking confidence, terrified of making new friends, unable to act when the people he cared about needed him.

"Amaimon," he called gently, tilting his head up so their eyes met. "Do you trust me?" Amaimon narrowed his eyes dubiously, but nodded regardless. "You would _never_ hurt me." It wasn't the truth, but it wasn't a lie, either. Amaimon—without his memories, at least—wouldn't hurt Rin. "Your friend Ghost, on the other hand..."

His expression softened with realization. "So it was Ghost... I wonder why he hates you so much..."

"Pfft—because he knows I'll always be here to protect you!" Rin gave him a smug, confident grin.

But the half-demon's response didn't seem to make things better. "Rin..." He turned his head away—an attempt to hide a growing blush. "I need to tell you something...but it's...embarrassing..."

Rin's smirk melted into a soft smile. "You can tell me anything, Amaimon."

He paused for a long while, and then took a deep breath. His voice was quiet and distant, and the blush on his cheeks darkened. "I, um..." he bit his lips nervously, "I don't know why...but, when you touch me...even just a little," he stopped again, as if choking on his next words. He swallowed hard and continued, "it makes Ghost weak. Sometimes... Sometimes he leaves completely." Amaimon turned his back to Rin, afraid of facing his reaction.

Rin blushed furiously as his words slowly sunk in. "I-I'm sure there's an explanation for that! I-I mean... I-It's not like it only happens with me, r-right?"

"No—only you."

"O-Oh! I, uh...t-that's..." He struggled to speak, but nothing came out fully formed. The very thought of _his touch_ chasing away Amaimon's demon made him feel elated. "A-Amaimon...uh..."

The earth king still had his back to him, ashamed of his feelings. Rin wanted to say something to assuage his anxiety, to tell him not to feel embarrassed, but mindlessly acted before he could find the words. He pulled Amaimon into an awkward embrace, pressing his face to the back of his neck, breathing him in. He smelled sweet and innocent, like sandalwood and something fruity—a strawberry lollipop just freed from its wrapper.

"Like this?"

He felt Amaimon tense under him. "L-Like that." He leaned into Rin, making his heart flutter. If such an insignificant thing could drive Ghost away, what would something more intimate do? As if hearing his thoughts, Amaimon turned to face him, his cheeks stained a deep pink. "Rin..." he sounded breathless, "make him go away forever."

"...I will."

He cupped the side of Amaimon's face and kissed him hesitantly, worried the demon might be disgusted and push him away. But, instead, he closed his eyes and pressed himself closer.

He didn't think about his actions anymore after that, determined to destroy Ghost, completely end his existence, and leave Amaimon's head spinning in the process.

Rin reached up, slowly trailing his fingertips along Amaimon's jawbone before gently pulling his chin down. His lips parted slightly and the half-demon took the opportunity to slip his tongue into his mouth. Amaimon flinched back instinctively, breaking their kiss.

_I'm sorry—I thought you would like it. _ But he couldn't speak. He inched forward, back into the demon's arms, and forced him onto the floor. Amaimon watched him carefully with an expressionless face, uncertain of how to respond. Rin hovered over him, an inexplicable, pent-up desire driving him.

Amaimon looked away, frowning. "I... I know I'm not a good kisser..."

He couldn't hold back his laughter. Out of everything that had happened so far in their time together, _this_ was what he was worried about—being a good kisser? "Neither am I," he said, nuzzling his nose against Amaimon's, a gesture of affection. It seemed to make him relax. "But, practice makes perfect, right?"

"Let's find out."

Amaimon wrapped his legs around Rin's waist and pulled him back down for another kiss. He learned quickly—apparently—and pressed his tongue hard against Rin's. The half-demon responded eagerly, his hands free to roam the earth king's body, kneading here, touching there. He shivered when Rin's hand found its way under his shirt. Amaimon's skin felt hot under his fingertips, an inviting heat that almost rivaled his flames.

Their kiss deepened and Amaimon moaned quietly, one hand dragging black nails along Rin's spine, the other tangled in his hair, bringing them even closer.

He pulled back, nipping at the demon's bottom lip. "Is Ghost gone yet?"

"Less talk, more kiss." Amaimon yanked him back down, arching his back as their tongues met again. Rin growled, frustrated by the unbearable pressure escalating within him, and fisted the hem of Amaimon's shirt. The harder he kissed him, the more Amaimon rubbed their bodies together. And, the more he rubbed against him, the more Rin wanted their clothes out of the way. He desperately wanted to feel the heat of his skin, taste every inch of him, hear him scream his name.

_Off, now_. He couldn't think straight—his mind enveloped by Amaimon's scent, by his touch, by his whimpers. _Now!_

But then, suddenly, Amaimon pushed him back. Rin raised his head, afraid he had done something wrong. The demon's face was bright pink and his lips were slightly red where Rin had bitten him. "Someone's coming." Heeding his warning, the two separated—Rin to his candles and Amaimon back to the bench.

Yukio opened the door a moment later.

**. . .**

"H-Hey, Yukio! I, uh, d-didn't expect to see you so soon!" Yukio raised a brow suspiciously and glanced around the room.

At first, he was pleased to see Rin and Amaimon on opposite sides, both of them seemingly distracted by something. But then, his brother smiled shyly at the demon, a barely visible blush lingering on his cheeks. His calm mood instantly vanished.

Yukio placed his briefcase down at the empty bench beside the rifle and began to dig through it, preparing Amaimon's medication. He could feel Rin's curious gaze shift to him, watching carefully as he took out a small bottle and a sterile syringe. Amaimon was uninterested and continued to stare blankly at the wall.

He glanced at Rin expectantly, wondering why he wasn't asking about the condition of his friends. Rin shrugged in response to his glare. He let out an annoyed sigh at his silence and turned his attention back to preparing the medicine. "Yes, nii-san—Shiemi and Suguro are fine. Thank you for showing concern," he said sarcastically.

"Yukio, I..." his voice trailed off and he lowered his eyes. After a short pause, he spoke, his voice quiet and piteous. "You're right... I wasn't thinking about them." He ran a shaky hand through his short hair. "I'm a terrible friend aren't I?" he smiled sadly to himself.

"Yes, you are," Yukio spat, allowing his anger to consume him. "Barely a month ago, you were saving them from the very person you decided to protect today. So, yes—I think that makes you an awful friend." Rin frowned and raised a brow, but didn't respond to his little outburst.

He didn't care if his tone was too harsh or if his words hurt him. Rin needed to hear the truth, to understand how stupid he was being, that he was allowing Amaimon to control his life, isolate him from his friends, from the only people who bothered to accept him in spite of his demonic heritage. But, sadly, he knew his brother wouldn't listen—Rin always wanted to be a hero to someone, even if that meant chasing everyone he loved away.

Yukio _hated_ Amaimon for doing this to his brother.

"Amaimon, come sit over here." Yukio gestured to an area on the bench.

The demon obeyed, albeit slowly and cautiously.

"This goes in your back, okay? It's going to hurt—so don't move." Yukio tried to hide his disgust for the earth king as he filled the syringe with a clear medicine.

This was pointless. The injection wasn't a permanent fix, and, in less than a week, they would be right back at where they started. Despite what his older brother had said, Yukio thoroughly believed that Amaimon would _never_ change. Memories or not, he was just wasting resources that _he_ needed. His actions in the classroom only served to further prove his beliefs—Suguro had almost died, Shiemi would have been eaten, and yet Rin still stubbornly defended this..._thing_ as if it were capable of emotions or empathy.

If he continued to trust Amaimon, his life would be ruined. Yukio wouldn't allow that to happen to his precious brother, but, for now, this was all he could do to keep Rin safe.

He shook the thoughts out of his head and turned his mind to his task. Obviously, the demon doctor didn't have much experience suppressing demons. As an exorcist—and a half-breed with demonic powers hidden somewhere deep inside—Yukio had far more knowledge when it came to suppressants. Today, he was giving Amaimon a dose from his own stockpile. It should be enough to control the demon until he found the time to visit Shiemi's mother to restock his supplies.

He pushed the earth king's shirt up slightly and inserted the large syringe into his lower back, just about the green base of his tail. Amaimon winced and tensed, holding his breath as Yukio took his time with the injection.

"There. That should last you a few days." He returned the needle to his suitcase for disposal later.

"So... How do you feel?" Rin moved to sit beside Amaimon.

"I feel..." he hesitated, and then nodded, "better. Ghost has calmed down a lot."

"Great! Thank you, Yukio!" Rin gave him a genuine smile. "We really appreciate it, right Amaimon?" The demon shrugged and turned away. "That's his way of saying thanks!" His brother laughed and patted the demon affectionately on his head. Yukio could feel his blood begin to boil.

"Nii-san." He tilted his head toward him. "If this happens again... I won't have a choice." His eyes widened and he nodded slowly in understanding. "You should stay home until this..._month_ is over," his tone was hard, hoping to remind him that Amaimon was only a temporary addition to their lives.

"I know," he responded softly. "But, until then, we have to do our best to take care of him. We promised, remember?"

_No, nii-san. _You_ promised, not me._

Yukio glanced at Amaimon, who was staring back with a confused expression, unable to understand their subtle conversation. He sighed through his nose and forced a small smile. Yukio meant it to be reassuring—or disarming in the least—but the demon seemed to think it was hostile and responded with a glare. "Hope you feel better soon, Amaimon." He stood and reached out to pat him on his head like Rin had.

"Don't-!" Amaimon flinched and cringed away from his hand, scrambling to the other end of the bench. Yukio dropped his arm and desperately held in his anger.

"Let me know if you need anything else, nii-san." He gathered his things and left.

Just as he reached out for the door, he heard Amaimon whisper loudly to Rin. "His eyes are scary—they remind me of ice."

He gritted his teeth in a futile attempt to suppress his anger, and slammed the door behind him. His heavy steps echoed loudly as he hastily made his way down the endless hallway. The injection should last them a few days at most, but, even so, Yukio didn't know how much longer Amaimon would have until the demon became immune to the medication—it was obvious that the beast was already immune to whatever the doctor had given him at the infirmary—and, once it no longer effected this 'voice'... Rin would be its first victim.

Furious, he pulled out his phone and selected a name from its address book.

"Oh, Yukio!" Mephisto's disgustingly cheerful voice was muffled slightly by static. "Is everything alright? How are my _favorite_ little brothers doing?"

"When are you coming back?" he snapped, ignoring the demon's question.

There was a brief pause on the other end. "Not for a while, I'm afraid. Sebastian is...rather difficult to track without alerting the Vatican. I'm supposed to remain within Japan's borders—in case you've forgotten."

He was hoping for a different answer. "Amaimon almost killed two of my students today. I don't know how much longer we can control him," he hesitated, and then quickly added, "if anything like this happens again, I _will_ take him to Shura and the other senior exorcists."

"Now, now—let's not be so hasty!" The bright tone of Mephisto's voice never faltered. "Just give him a mindless video game to play—that usually distracts him for a few days!"

Yukio's resolve shattered. "This isn't a joke!" He stopped in his tracks, closing his eyes and breathing slowly to calm himself. "Amaimon is unstable. I can't teach a class _and_ worry about babysitting a rampaging demon, and Rin can barely pay attention to my lectures."

He heard Mephisto sigh. "Alright... I'll see what I can do," he said. "But don't take him to Shura. If you _must_ drop him off somewhere, take him back to the demon doctor. He'll be able to take better care of him."

"Okay," he agreed reluctantly. "Fine. I'll take him to the doctor."

"Well then," he started, voice cheerful once again. "I have to catch my flight to Egypt. I'll contact you as soon as I've got his heart. Bye-bye!"

_Doctor...?_ What was his name? Why couldn't Yukio remember?

He set his suitcase down and dug the doctor's lint-covered business card out of his pocket. He narrowed his eyes at it, turned it over, and over, and over, rereading the card again and again. It was a normal business card with True Cross Academy's emblem in the corner, a few phone numbers, and operating hours for the infirmary. Yukio didn't notice anything unusual at first. But then...

_That's strange..._

Yukio leaned against the nearby wall as his phone rang.

"Ah, Yukio, excellent—I was just about to call you." The doctor's oddly deep voice suddenly sounded ominous to him. "It seems that I, ah, _miscalculated_ the dosage I gave to Amaimon this morning. If you could bring him back, I can-"

Yukio cut him off, his tone calm and cold. "That isn't why I called you."

He hesitated. "Ah, then..." he paused to clear his throat. "What can I help you with?"

"What's your name?" Yukio asked, examining the small card again. "I can't find one on your card."

There was no response.

"Don't you think it's a little strange that a _doctor_ is handing out nameless business cards? Is it just a printing error?"

Nothing.

Yukio waited an awkwardly long time for a response. Finally, he spoke up. "Doctor? Doctor, are you there?" He pulled his phone away from his ear and glanced at it. The screen read '_Call Ended_'.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hey there! Just to let you know: submissive Amai won the personality poll! Yay!

_However_, I do agree with Wild-Tama in that Amai isn't Amai without being a little psycho...but that's why we have Ghost (who gets much more intelligent in future chapters hinthinthint!) So, I'm going to _try_ to give you the best of both worlds - those who wanted an obsessive Amai will just have to wait a little longer(sorry!) Anyway, thank you to everyone who left feedback or voted on the poll!

Oh! And the doctor is not Bast, although that is a good guess Fox! (:


	9. Chapter 9

_He shook the thoughts out of his head and turned his mind to his task. Obviously, the demon doctor didn't have much experience suppressing demons. As an exorcist—and a half-breed with demonic powers hidden somewhere deep inside—Yukio had far more knowledge when it came to suppressants. Today, he was giving Amaimon a dose from his own stockpile. It should be enough to control the demon until he found the time to visit Shiemi's mother to restock his supplies._

_He pushed the earth king's shirt up slightly and inserted the large syringe into his lower back, just about the green base of his tail. Amaimon winced and tensed, holding his breath as Yukio took his time with the injection._

_"There. That should last you a few days." He returned the needle to his suitcase for disposal later._

_"So... How do you feel?" Rin moved to sit beside Amaimon._

_"I feel..." he hesitated, and then nodded, "better. Ghost has calmed down a lot."_

* * *

**Chapter Nine  
****. . .  
**_An Agreement_

* * *

**At first, everything was wonderful.** He felt careless and free and almost _happy_. But these elated emotions faded quickly, and, suddenly, the world seemed strange and hostile. With Ghost gone, Amaimon began to feel empty and alone, scared and uncertain. The walls of the training room closed in on him, his chest tightened until he couldn't breathe, and an overwhelming sensation of hopelessness washed over him. He felt trapped and, with each passing second, slipped deeper and deeper into the darkness encompassing him, until it felt like he would lose himself completely.

It was then he realized how _badly_ he needed to feel Ghost's presence, to hear his voice, his contemptuous laughter, his angry growls, his sarcastic retorts.

He almost wanted to laugh at the irony of it all.

"It's getting late, Amaimon." Rin's cheerful voice broke the eerie silence and brought him out of his thoughts. "We should go." He slipped the strap of his sword's sheathe over his shoulder and made his way to the door, oblivious to his friend's anguish. "What do you want for dinner?"

It took a surprising amount of effort for Amaimon to force himself to his feet. "I don't care." It was an automatic response—he wasn't in the mood to eat anything anyway.

Concerned by his solemn tone, Rin turned to him, brow knit with worry. "Really? You don't want anything? Not even dessert?" Amaimon feigned interest in the wall and shrugged a shoulder. It seemed like the only thing he could easily do now. "Are you okay?" He tilted his head in an attempt to meet his cerulean eyes.

_Ghost would be snarling if he could see you..._ The thought made his heart sink. He didn't want to admit that he actually _missed_ the brazen beast, especially after all the trouble the twins went through to help him. "I'm just tired," he lied, stifling a fake yawn.

That gentle smile returned to Rin's face, and Amaimon felt incredibly guilty for wanting Ghost back. "Yeah, me too—it's been a long day." He turned his attention back to the door and fidgeted with his key. When he opened it, a chilly gust of fresh air greeted them. Rin mumbled an annoyed complaint and wrapped his arms around himself.

Amaimon followed him outside and found himself near the entrance to a theme park. It was closed for repairs, unfortunately, but he could still get a glimpse of a few attractions through the gate. He eagerly ran up to it for a better look, all thoughts of Ghost gone for the moment. "Where are we?" He stepped back and raised his eyes to the sign. "Mepphyland?" Hearing the name made a chill run through him.

Why...did that sound so familiar?

"Damn!" Rin cursed at the key in his hand. "I can never figure out how to use this stupid thing!" With a heavy sigh, he shoved it into his pocket and joined Amaimon at the gate. "Sorry, Amaimon—we're going to walk a bit before we can get back home."

He ignored his apology and pointed to a headless statue just beyond the gate. "What is that?"

Rin hesitated slightly, as if he wasn't sure how to respond. "...That's Mephisto. Why? Do you, uh...recognize it?"

Amaimon raised himself on his toes, tilted his head, and examined the figure as best he could in the waning light. He hummed in thought and then shook his head. "No—I don't think I've ever seen it before." He couldn't be certain, of course—_everything_ seemed vaguely familiar to him. "I was just wondering why it was dressed like a clown."

"You think so too!?" A playful grin brightened Rin's entire face. "Wait until you see the _real_ Mephisto—he looks even worse!"

He averted his gaze and covered his mouth with a hand, trying to muffle a small laugh. "T-That's not funny!" he snickered.

"You don't have to hide from me, Amaimon," He looked up as Rin gently moved his hand away from his face. "I like hearing you laugh."

Amaimon felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment. He shied away, frustrated by this uncontrollable reaction. Rin couldn't see him like this, weak and vulnerable—like Ghost had. "I want to go now," he said, his tone suddenly stern.

Rin didn't seem bothered by his harsh demand. He turned on his heel and began to follow the path away from the theme park. "C'mon—it's this way."

Amaimon trailed behind him slowly, head bowed low, watching his feet as he walked. He wondered if Ghost knew anything about the name 'Mepphyland', but it was too late to worry about it now. The monster was gone and he was alone—trapped in the unfamiliar confines of his scattered mind.

A breeze gently ruffled his green fringe and, somehow, the chill from the fall wind emphasized the emptiness he felt inside.

He continued walking with despondent movements, completely ignoring the scenery around him and losing himself in his thoughts. Occasionally, he noticed that Rin glanced back at him, mouth pulled down at the corners in a concerned expression.

"Hey, is everything alright?" He slowed his pace until he was walking beside Amaimon. "You seem kinda...sad."

"I'm fine," Amaimon punctuated his remark with a quick shake of his head. "I just want to go home and get some sleep."_ I have to find a way to get Ghost back before this solitude drives me insane..._

"Sooo... Uh," Rin paused as he averted his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. "...Do you want to hold hands?"

"I don't need you to treat me like a child, Rin." He crossed his arms against his chest.

"R-Right... Sorry."

* * *

**. . .  
**_At the Dormitory_

* * *

Both boys were surprised to find the doctor waiting for them outside their dormitory, a small, white briefcase in his hand. He didn't hear them approach, his back to them as he peeked into the slightly open door. Amaimon had to strain to hear, but he started speaking to...something in a high-pitched, careful voice.

"You remember me, right? That's a good boy... I just want to—_AHH_!" He suddenly jumped back with a yelp and slammed the door shut.

"...Doctor? What are you doing?" The man flinched at the sound of Rin's voice.

"A-Ah, Okumura—it's just you." He sighed and visibly relaxed. "Your pet hobgoblin has quite the temper."

"Did he bite you?"

The doctor scratched at his hair. "No, not me—but I think he _really_ hates my shoes."

Amaimon brushed past him and opened the door. The small animal responded with an angry snarl before realizing who it was. "Behemoth, bad!" He picked the creature up and nuzzled his face against Behemoth's warm, leathery skin. Holding him close seemed to make Amaimon feel better, if only a little.

"Ah, that's right." The man held up the case he was carrying. "I miscalculated the dosage for Amaimon's medicine this morning, so I brought the proper injection. But, ah..." He shivered and rubbed his arms as a cold wind interrupted him. Behemoth shook his head with displeasure and attempted to bury himself in Amaimon's chest. "C-Can we talk inside? It's freezing out here."

Rin seemed hesitant to let the doctor in. "Well, actually, Yukio already gave him something for that. He's all better now, right Amaimon?"

Both of them turned to him expectantly. "Is that true, Amaimon?"

Amaimon glanced between them, trying to quickly gather his thoughts, his grip on Behemoth tightening as realization slowly sunk in. The doctor wasn't aware that his medication only made Ghost worse—which meant that, if he received an injection similar to the one this morning, he might return to him. But... Rin... If he discovered that he willingly brought Ghost back for such a silly reason... How would he react? Would he hate him? Force him back to that deplorable hospital room?

His friend gave him a brief smile as he continued to stare blankly. A burning sensation of guilt made him lower his eyes.

He didn't want to do this, to prove to Ghost he was pathetic and worthless without the beast's presence in his mind. But, even if his decision ultimately hurt Rin, he needed the disembodied voice back.

"I need to talk to the doctor about something," he answered.

"Sure!" Rin, as trusting as ever, led the doctor into the dormitory and up to their floor. Amaimon stopped by his room to lock up his troublesome pet for the time being. When he joined them in their small kitchen, he found the doctor settling into a chair at the table and Rin preparing a pot of tea.

"Rin?"

He looked up. "Yeah?"

Quickly, he moved along the wall to where Rin was standing. "I need to talk with the doctor privately," he whispered.

He frowned, but the expression didn't last long. "Okay—I wanted to take a shower anyway. Twenty minutes long enough?" Amaimon nodded. "Cool!" He turned off the stove. "Just knock if you need anything." Rin waved to the doctor and closed the door behind him.

"So," the man paused to adjust his glasses. "What's this 'private talk' about, Amaimon?"

Amaimon sat in his corner and pulled his legs up to his chest. "Don't tell Rin about this—okay?"

He scratched at the rugged, uneven stubble on his chin. "Very well."

"I..." He stopped and gritted his teeth—an attempt to smother his building emotions. "The medicine Rin's brother gave me forced the..._voice_ to disappear."

"I see," he let out a long, disappointed sigh and glanced down at the white case. "I suppose you don't need me anymore..."

"Uh, well..." He lowered his head guiltily. "I want him back. And, assuming it will work like it did this morning, I think your dosage will help."

The two sat in silence for a long while—Amaimon staring at the tiled floor and the doctor fidgeting with his sleeves. As the tension of the moment grew weaker, he looked up. He fully expected the man to be difficult and argue, so he was stunned to see a smile on his face.

"If that's what you _really_ want...then I can't say no," he said, his voice unexpectedly calm.

Amaimon raised a brow, suspicious of the doctor's soft expression. "That's it? You're not going to ask me why?"

He shrugged and his smile deepened. "I don't claim to know what's going on in your head, Amaimon. You know what's best in this case and, if you want the demon back for whatever reason, who am I to deny that?" He happily turned to the table and opened the briefcase, preparing a sterile needle. "Come on—it'll just be a quick poke in your upper arm."

"Do you think it will work?" he asked as he cautiously moved to the other chair beside the doctor. "I mean...he's not gone _forever_, is he?"

"Ah, most likely not. Demons are like rats." He flicked the needle with a finger. "They always come back to their hosts, so they're impossible to exterminate entirely."

"...Good to know."

* * *

A wonderful, tantalizing heat spread throughout Amaimon, burning his body, tingling his skin, making his head spin. It was a comforting sensation, despite the slight pain it caused. After the doctor had left, Amaimon retired to his room, using the wall for support as he awkwardly stumbled into bed. He closed his eyes and let the warmth of Ghost's returning presence lull him into a dazed state.

During his nap, he was vaguely aware of Rin peeking into his room to check on him. The smell of his soap was agonizingly captivating, but he was too exhausted to do anything other than enjoy it. Ghost woke him a few minutes later, calling his name, his voice uncharacteristically gentle.

He didn't want to admit it, but he was utterly relieved to hear him again, to know that he could never be completely eradicated; only briefly suppressed.

_FINALLY  
__THANK YOU_

_Thank you!?_ That was certainly not something he expected to hear from the monster. "What do you mean?" he rasped, his throat painfully dry.

_UNFORTUNATELY  
__I NEED YOU  
__IT FEELS WRONG WITHOUT YOU_

"Oh... You too? I guess that makes sense." Amaimon sat up with a groan and rubbed his pounding head. Gradually, the pain faded and he was able to stand once more. "Ghost," he started, pausing to stretch and yawn. "Let's have a talk." There was an implication in his words—a hint of an offer. Well, it wasn't exactly an _offer_. More like blackmail, but Ghost didn't need to know that.

He felt the demon grow suspicious and, alternatively, curious.

"I want you to stop trying to kill the people around me, including Rin. Okay?" It felt strange talking to himself, even quietly, so he opened his closet door and forced himself to face his reflection.

He brushed his fringe aside and closely examined his eyes. The light blue hue seemed more vibrant than he remembered, but those dark bruises under his eyes were still far too visible. As he continued to examine his face, his mirth darkened and, suddenly, the image in the mirror was warped. It was as if two of him were superimposed—one frowning, sad almost, and the other smiling gently, maniacally. He shook his head and the sight vanished. Feeling uncomfortable, he quickly shut the door.

Amaimon knew the demon was responsible, and it irritated him to know that he was slowly losing control. "Look, Ghost—this is _my_ body, and if you want to live in _my_ body, then you're going to do what I say—_got it_?"

Ghost snorted sarcastically and laughed.

_THAT IS MY BODY  
__YOU ARE SIMPLY KEEPING IT SAFE FOR ME  
__I WILL HAVE IT BACK SOON_

"I'll tell Yukio you said that." There was a heavy silence, and Amaimon felt worry emanating from the beast. "So, deal?"

He hesitated, and then reluctantly spat a single word.

_FINE_

"...Good. I'm glad we were able to come to an agreement." Satisfied he had complied so easily, Amaimon stretched again and started to climb into bed beside a sleeping Behemoth.

_YOU'LL REGRET THIS_

He froze and tensed, one leg on his mattress. Something about Ghost's eager, almost thrilled tone made him incredibly uneasy. The demon noticed this, and let out a short, disconcerting chuckle.

_GOODNIGHT_


	10. Chapter 10

_"I want you to stop trying to kill the people around me, including Rin. Okay?" It felt strange talking to himself, even quietly, so he opened his closet door and forced himself to face his reflection._

_He brushed his fringe aside and closely examined his eyes. The light blue hue seemed more vibrant than he remembered, but those dark bruises under his eyes were still far too visible. As he continued to examine his face, his mirth darkened and, suddenly, the image in the mirror was warped. It was as if two of him were superimposed—one frowning, sad almost, and the other smiling gently, maniacally. He shook his head and the sight vanished. Feeling uncomfortable, he quickly shut the door._

_Amaimon knew the demon was responsible, and it irritated him to know that he was slowly losing control. "Look, Ghost—this is my body, and if you want to live in my body, then you're going to do what I say—got it?"_

_Ghost snorted sarcastically and laughed._

* * *

**Chapter Ten  
****. . .  
**_One Chance_

* * *

**The next morning, Rin woke** to the sound of loud footsteps and muffled chatter. Annoyed by the noise, he groaned and buried his head under his pillow. He waited for it to fade and, when it didn't, he exploded. The half-demon stumbled out of bed and threw his door open. "What the hell, Yukio!?" he snarled. "Can I sleep!?" But, instead of his brother, he was face-to-face with Izumo. Behind her stood Bon and the other exwires. "U-Uh..." He stammered and blinked a few times, wondering if he was still dreaming.

Bon let out an unattractive snort and stifled a small laugh, a smug grin stretching his mouth. "Nice underwear."

Rin flushed, suddenly remembering he had decided to sleep in only his boxers and a shirt. "I-It's not my fault! You!" he pointed at his brother. "You should have told me everyone was coming over!" he shouted, feeling his face grow hot.

"I _tried_ to wake you up, nii-san," he stated sternly.

He could only vaguely recall brushing Yukio off when he shook him. "Oh...you did?"

"Anyway," he continued, waving his hand dismissively. "You're not part of today's study session—seeing as how you have more _important_ things to do now," he said, nodding to Amaimon's door. "And, _please_, put some pants on."

"D-Don't tell me what to do!" he spat, a thin attempt at hiding his embarrassment.

One pair of pants later, Rin decided he would make himself useful and fix a snack for the exwires. He opened his door with an abrupt movement, startling Amaimon—who was peeking out of his room and down the hallway. The worried expression he wore made his heart sink.

"Are they gone?" he asked quietly, as if afraid they would hear him if he spoke too loud.

Rin frowned. "They're friends, Amaimon—you don't have to be scared."

He looked over at the half-demon, brow scrunched indignantly. "They're _your_ friends. They'll _never_ accept me. Especially after what Ghost did..."

"We don't know that," he said slowly. "Ghost is gone now, so there shouldn't be any reason for you to worry anymore." He gave the earth king a broad smile and patted his head affectionately.

Amaimon lowered his eyes and shuffled his feet anxiously. "But," he stopped suddenly and shook his head. "Still..."

He tweaked the end of his nose lightly with a finger. "Don't worry about them—why don't you and Behemoth help me make some rice balls?"

"That's silly, Rin," he said in an amused voice. "Behemoth can't make rice balls!"

* * *

**. . .  
**_An Hour Later_

* * *

Bon sat quietly beside Shima, reading the notes Yukio had handed out before leaving. He stared at the words without seeing them, too busy listening to the hushed conversation. The other exwires spoke about the thief that stole Amaimon's demon heart in uncertain, whispered tones, trying to figure out why someone would ever want such an obscure thing.

The most unsettling thing about all this, he determined, wasn't _why_ they wanted Amaimon's heart, but _how_ they managed to steal something so precious. If they could do this to a _demon king_—then what could they do to an exorcist trying to stop them? To a normal human accidentally in their way?

Bon wasn't as concerned with Amaimon's inner demon as he was with whoever took his heart.

"What do you think, Bon? You've been awfully quiet."

"Huh?" He glanced up at Koneko. "Oh, sorry—I wasn't paying attention."

"I...feel bad for him." Moriyama fidgeted with a lock of her hair as she spoke. "If what Yukio said was true... Then he's been fighting that demon all by himself. I wish there was something we could do to help... Maybe he'll feel better if we all try to be friends."

Bon snorted. "I _highly_ doubt the demon who used you as bait _before_ he lost his memories would want to be your friend."

"B-But...!" She glared at him. "What if he's right? What if Yukio suppressed the demon? Wouldn't that make him a different person?"

"Moriyama does have a point..." Koneko flinched slightly when Bon shot him a quieting glance. "I-It's just that... Well, we don't know Amaimon as a person—so what if it _was_ the demon that attacked us? We can't tell which personality is really his."

"Memories or not, he's _still_ a demon," Bon spat, returning to his notes.

"That's...also true."

"Man I am so _done_ with demons after this!" Shima let out a heavy, exasperated groan and leaned back against the wall behind him. "First Rin, then Amaimon, and now this stupid mission! It's too much!" He ran a hand through his short, pink hair and stared up at the ceiling.

"Don't be such a baby," Bon scolded his friend in a way that was not unkind. "It doesn't even seem like that difficult of a job," he mumbled musingly.

Shima sat up straight, cheeks puffed out defiantly. Before he could retort, Rin burst through the door with his usual, cheery enthusiasm. "Who's hungry?" He placed a tray of warm onigiri in the center of the table. Bon was the first to grab one. He took a greedy bite and hummed in delight.

"Seriously, Rin," he started between bites, "you'd make a great wife."

"Not this shit again." Rin scowled as he made himself comfortable on the available cushion. "Why are you guys here, anyway?"

"We're going on a mission with Okumura-sensei in a couple days," Bon explained, eyes never leaving the paper in front of him. "It's a demon we haven't covered yet, so Teach invited us over for a study session."

"Oh..." Rin peered over his shoulder at the page he was reading. "So... Is it okay if I bring Amaimon in?"

"_No_!" Shima was the first and only exwire to answer him. The other students became uncomfortably quiet.

Rin's demeanor instantly changed—from happy and amiable, to sullen and distraught. "He's not like that anymore," he said softly. "You haven't seen him... He's _different_." Moriyama opened her mouth to make a comment, but couldn't find the words and simply lowered her eyes.

"Okumura-sensei already told us about his split personality issue," Bon said, his voice calm despite the anger in his expression. "You keep sayin' that he's 'different'," he used air quotes to emphasize the word, "but, as far as I can tell, _that_ Amaimon you won't shut up about is still the same little shit from the forest—he hasn't changed _at all_."

He exhaled sharply, obviously hurt by Bon's words, and continued to stare down at his lap, hiding his face. "If Yukio already told you everything, then you know that he managed to suppress the demon temporarily... So, please—just give him a chance! Just one more time, please!" He looked up with a frown.

Bon's narrowed eyes shone with disbelief. Though he would have preferred to keep his distance from the earth king entirely, the sincerity in Rin's voice and the obvious desperation in his expression was too difficult for him to ignore. He felt himself relax after a moment of thought. "Alright, _one chance_," he said with a sigh, causing Rin to perk up slightly. "If you can show me that he's different—even a little—I'll forgive him for being an asshole."

Shima shook his friend's shoulder, face twisted with shock and concern. "Y-You're not serious, are you?

He shrugged his hand off. "If Okumura-sensei has given him a suppressant that works, I don't see what the harm is."

"Uh, Bon?"

"What?"

"Do you like that?" Rin nodded to the half-eaten rice ball in his hand. "It's good, right?" He turned and met each of the exwires gazes. "All of you like them?"

"What's your point?" Bon inspected the onigiri with an intense curiosity, trying to find something special about it.

"Amaimon made them."

For what felt like an extended moment, the room was ominously silent. Bon stared at the food he was holding, mouth slightly agape. "R-Really...?"

"Yep!"

"Well...shit. If he can cook like _this_, then I'll forgive him." Bon took another bite.

"M-Me too, Rin!" Moriyama spoke up shyly. "I want to give him another chance."

Izumo sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine—whatever."

"Count me in." Koneko smiled gently.

Shima's shoulders drooped. "You're all insane."

A broad smile brightened Rin's features. "Thanks guys! This will make Amaimon really happy." He picked up the tray with three onigiri left and held it out to Bon. "You were the first. Take this to Amaimon in the kitchen—he's probably hungry."

He raised a brow at the tray. "...Seriously?"

"Uh, yeah." Rin narrowed his eyes in a hard glare. "You said you would give him a chance, _didn't you_?"

"I know what I said!" Bon growled and accepted the tray. He quickly left the room before the half-demon could humiliate him further and stared down the quiet, empty hall. _I'm going to regret this..._ He thought with sinking resignation.

Bon hesitantly crept up to the open kitchen doorway and peeked in, uncertain if making amends with Amaimon was the right thing to do. Memories or not, he was still just as dangerous as he was before—if not _more_ now because of the uncontrollable demon plaguing his mind.

Surprisingly, the earth king seemed perfectly normal from a distance: he pulled plates out from the dishwasher and inspected their cleanliness before carefully placing them away. There was nothing sinister or threatening about him, but Bon knew better than to assume anything. He kept his guard up as he entered the kitchen. Amaimon turned, hearing him place the tray down on the dining table. Startled by Bon's presence, he backed away until he was trapped in the far corner, anxiously clutching a clean plate to his chest.

"Uh, hey," Bon started, feeling guilty for scaring him. "I brought you something to eat." Amaimon eyed him suspiciously, ignoring the rice balls. "You're a pretty good cook."

He visibly relaxed, but remained where he was. "Rin cooked everything—I just put them together." He paused uneasily. "Why are you here? Don't you...hate me?"

"Nah," he shook his head, and then added, "maybe I should, but I don't. 'Sides, I'm used to being attacked by demons, and I _guess_ I can't really blame _you_ for what happened."

Amaimon finally felt safe enough to set the plate down and emerge from the kitchen. "...I'm sorry." He turned away, looking somewhat forlorn. "I never wanted to hurt you. But..."

The rising guilt he felt pissed him off. "Tch—I already said I'm not mad. Stop worrying about it."

"Okay." He squirmed a bit under Bon's abrasive glare. "Does... Does that mean we're friends?"

"_Friends_!?" He clearly didn't like the idea that much, but figured it would be best not to argue...for now, anyway. "Why do you want to be friends with me?"

"You're Rin's friend. I want to be your friend too..." His voice trailed off and he glanced at Bon, head bowed low, a slight pout on his face, brow pulled up—all coming together in an unusually cute expression.

"F-Fine!" he stuttered, averting his gaze. "Alright, we're friends—now stop looking at me like that!"

Amaimon suddenly covered his face with both hands. Bon stared, confused. He waited for him to say something—or at least move his hands. When nothing happened, he snapped. "What are you doing!?"

"You said not to look at you." Amaimon peeked at him through slightly parted fingers, his voice muffled.

His innocent, child-like demeanor was infectious, and soon, Bon found himself smiling, all his anger vanishing in that one instant. "I didn't mean it like _that_." Bon gently took the demon's wrists, lowered his hands, and met his tentative gaze. Slowly, he was beginning to realize that Rin was right: he actually..._liked_ this Amaimon. "Y'know, you're not so bad for a demon king."

"...A what?"

Before he could explain, Rin casually strode into the kitchen. He smiled, apparently happy to find the two getting along so well. But, when his eyes dropped to Bon's hands, that benign smile was quickly wiped from his face and replaced by a repulsed frown. "What are you doing?" His tone was firm, almost frightening.

"What do you mean-" Rin, forcing himself between them, grabbed Bon, nails biting into his flesh, and shoved him back violently. Bon stumbled and caught himself on the edge of the table, arms burning with pain where the half-demon had touched him.

"Don't touch him!" he snarled, snapping his teeth like a wild animal. Amaimon stepped away cautiously, intimidated by this abrupt and unexpected change.

"Rin...?" Bon paled and studied Rin. His long tail swished eagerly from side to side and blue flames began to flicker to life on the top of his head. A faint, daunting red glittered in his misshapen pupils. "What's wrong with you?"

A deep, demonic growl—like nothing Bon had ever heard before—emanated from him. "Get away from him! He's _mine_!"


	11. Chapter 11

_Before he could explain, Rin casually strode into the kitchen. He smiled, apparently happy to find the two getting along so well. But, when his eyes dropped to Bon's hands, that benign smile was quickly wiped from his face and replaced by a repulsed frown. "What are you doing?" His tone was firm, almost frightening._

_"What do you mean-" Rin, forcing himself between them, grabbed Bon, nails biting into his flesh, and shoved him back violently. Bon stumbled and caught himself on the edge of the table, arms burning with pain where the half-demon had touched him._

_"Don't touch him!" he snarled, snapping his teeth like a wild animal. Amaimon stepped away cautiously, intimidated by this abrupt and unexpected change._

_"Rin...?" Bon paled and studied Rin. His long tail swished eagerly from side to side and blue flames began to flicker to life on the top of his head. A faint, daunting red glittered in his misshapen pupils. "What's wrong with you?"_

_A deep, demonic growl—like nothing Bon had ever heard before—emanated from him. "Get away from him! He's mine!"_

* * *

**Chapter Eleven  
****. . .  
**_Darkened Depths Beckon_

* * *

"**Rin, relax." Bon straightened himself,** but continued to keep his distance, hands raised defensively in front of him in case Rin attacked. "I wasn't hurting him," he said calmly. "We were talking—that's all." There was no hint of anger or disgust in his voice—just concern.

Thankfully, Bon's words seemed to reach Rin before whatever was driving him consumed him completely. He shook his head repeatedly and returned to his normal self. His tail drooped lifelessly behind him and he stared blankly at his hands, as if he couldn't recognize them anymore. Rin opened his mouth slowly, bottom lip trembling, but all that came out was a strained, choking sound.

"Hey," Bon reached out hesitantly. "Is everything okay?"

"S-Stay away!" Rin cringed, his blue eyes quickly filling with tears. "I don't want to hurt you!" He pressed his hands to his chest, almost as though he feared touching anything. "I… I'm… I-I don't…" He struggled to speak, but couldn't manage any coherent words through his shaky stuttering. Rin glanced between Amaimon and Bon once, uncontrollable tremors suddenly attacking his entire body.

He took a slow step toward the kitchen door, and then ran.

Without thinking, Amaimon slipped past Bon and followed Rin down the hall.

What was that all about? What had suddenly made Rin change from a happy, passionate person into an overprotective, wild animal? And those flames… Why did thinking about them irritate Ghost so much? The beast snarled in response to his thoughts.

_DOESN'T MATTER  
__KILL HIM  
__FEED ME_

_Shut up! I won't listen to you anymore!_ Amaimon ignored the demon's attempts to control him and rounded the corner after Rin. He came to a stop at the base of a staircase leading to the roof. Something—aside from Ghost—kept him from moving forward, despite how badly he wanted to follow Rin.

…What was he going to do when he met up with him? How could he possibly offer comfort to someone else when he couldn't even take care of his own problems?

_YOU CAN'T HELP ANYONE  
__YOU'RE TOO WEAK  
__TURN AROUND  
__GO BACK_

Frustrated by Ghost and wanting to quiet his perversely thrilled tone, Amaimon slowly climbed the stairs. A crisp, freezing wind greeted him when he pushed the door open. The roof was relatively empty, so it was easy to find Rin standing a short distance away. He leaned against the rusted railing with his elbows, looking down at the mass of buildings below them. Another chilly gust ruffled his dark hair, but he made no attempt to push it back.

Amaimon stood beside him quietly, not knowing what to say or even why he was there. A calm silence fell between them—the only sound Ghost's enraged mumbling and the rustling of autumn leaves somewhere in the distance.

Finally, Rin spoke, a soft, sullen smile on his face. "You shouldn't be here, Amaimon," he said simply.

"Why not?" Amaimon looked up at him, but his fringe hid his eyes.

He didn't answer for a long while, running his fingers slowly across the weathered metal of the railing as he gathered his thoughts. "...I'm a monster."

A quiet laugh slipped out of him. It wasn't a mocking laugh—like what he heard so often from Ghost—but a relieved, light one. Rin watched him, eyes narrowed slightly and brow pulled together in an offended glare. His laughter quickly died. "You're not a monster, Rin."

"And how would you know?" he snapped, furious. Amaimon was taken aback by his sudden audacity. "...Sorry," he sighed, turning his attention back to the railing. "Did you see what I did to Bon? I could have _killed_ him, Amaimon. I'm dangerous!"

"Ghost is dangerous," he said, frowning, gazing down at the academy buildings. "Besides, monsters don't make food for their friends. They don't risk their well-being to protect people. And they don't help someone who's broken put the pieces back together."

He felt Rin shuffle uncomfortably beside him. "Aren't you afraid of my flames? Of _me_? I might...hurt you one day without knowing it."

"I could ask the same of you." He met Rin's surprised gaze. "Aren't you afraid of Ghost?"

A carefree, happy smile gradually spread across his face. "Thanks, Amaimon. I guess I really needed to hear that."

His voice trailed off and the roof became quiet once again. Amaimon shivered and leaned his head lightly against Rin's shoulder. After a short pause, Rin wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer, resting his own head on the top of Amaimon's.

They stayed like that—together—until Yukio came to get them almost an hour later.

* * *

**. . .  
**_Later That Night_

* * *

Amaimon awoke to a quiet room, pale moonlight peeking through the cracks in his blinds. He lay there for a moment, listening to Behemoth snore, waiting for the effects of another nightmare to fade from his memories. Unable to fall back asleep, he sat up with apparent difficulty and looked around.

Something wasn't right. His body felt stiff and strange—too stiff. Almost as if...he wasn't in control of himself anymore.

Fear quickly lanced through him, instantly clearing his head. _Ghost...what are you doing? Why did you wake me up?_

_TIME FOR A BATH_

_What?_ Amaimon swung his legs over the side of his bed and awkwardly staggered to his feet. _No, stop!_

**. . .**

Bon yawned loudly and rubbed one of his eyes with the heel of his hand. The words on his book were beginning to blur together and he could barely hold his eyes open, but he forced himself to continue studying. It wasn't everyday he got the opportunity to spend the night at the Okumura twins dormitory, and he'd be damned if he would let it pass just because he felt a little tired. He glanced at the pile of completed assignments with a satisfied smile—he would _never_ be able to get this much work done with Shima around.

Stifling another yawn, he turned his attention back to the open textbook he was reading. He blinked hard and tried to focus, but, not a moment later, a strange noise broke his concentration. It sounded a bit like splashing water. He shook his head and turned a page.

...There it was again. That was _definitely_ water. It was coming from the shared bathroom a few doors down from the kitchen—where Bon was seated. _Who the hell is taking a bath at one in the morning!?_

Annoyed that he had been interrupted, Bon got up and peeked out into the hallway. Sure enough, a light shone through the crack at the bottom of the bathroom door. "Tch—are you fucking kidding me?" He knocked loudly, hoping to frighten whoever it was. "Do you have any idea what time it is!?" Bon received no response—not even a startled splash. "..._Asshole_."

When he turned to leave, he noticed that cold water was seeping out from the under the bathroom door.

"What the... H-Hey! Are you alright in there?" Bon banged on the door again, growing more and more anxious as the seconds slowly dragged by. Finally unable to withstand the eerie silence, he grabbed the handle. "I'm coming in, okay?"

Nothing could have prepared Bon for what he would find on the other side of that door. On his knees in front of the overflowing bathtub was Amaimon—his head and shoulders completely submerged in water. His mind was muddled by exhaustion and a sudden panic, but he acted quickly, jerking the demon upright and trying desperately to shake him conscious. His cold body fell limp in his arms.

"Hey! Amaimon, can you hear me!?" There was no response and it was becoming increasingly apparent that he wasn't breathing. "Fuck—Yukio! Rin!" Struggling to keep his composure, he laid the earth king on his back and exhaled sharply.

Rin slipped on the water in the hallway as he approached. "Bon, what did you do!?" He froze when he caught sight of Amaimon, fear and disbelief blending on his face. "Wha… What happened? What did he…?" his voice trailed off, eyes wide with shock and mouth slightly agape.

The half-demon's dumbfounded stare infuriated him. "Don't just stand there!" he shouted. "Call a doctor!" He hesitated slightly before sprinting back down the hall. Bon turned back to the unconscious demon and growled to himself. "I knew I was going to regret this!" He briefly winced at the thought of what he was about to do, but he didn't have any other options.

Bon placed both hands on his chest and began pushing repeatedly, pausing to check if the demon was breathing. As expected, he wasn't. Without a second thought, he tilted Amaimon's head back and breathed into his open mouth.

On his second attempt, Amaimon gasped and coughed violently. He turned his head to the side and vomited water. Relieved that he was alive, Bon held him down on his side until he was breathing in terse, anxious breaths. "Amaimon?" he called gently, brushing the demon's wet hair out of his face. "Hey, open your eyes for me."

He obeyed and cracked his eyes open. They seemed faded and slitted in suspicion. "You're…a terrible kisser," he mumbled between labored breaths, his voice raspy and weak.

Bon smiled, slightly amused. "I wasn't kissing you, idiot, I was saving your life." He pulled the shivering demon into his chest and wrapped his arms around him to warm him. Amaimon buried his face in the crook of his neck, his trembling lips pressed against his skin. "Better?" He unknowingly toyed with the ends of the hair that stuck out at the base of Amaimon's neck.

"B-Better…" Amaimon let out a slow sigh, his breath cold. He squirmed and pushed himself as close to Bon's warmth as possible. "Don't let go."

"Sorry, Amaimon—I need to get you out of these clothes before you catch a cold." He scooped up the demon and gently carried him out into the hall.

Yukio met up with him, a phone in one hand and a bundle of towels in the other. "Take him to the bedroom," he instructed, pointing to an open door further down the dark hallway. "The doctor will be here in about twenty minutes—stay with him until then." He shot the quivering earth king a disapproving glance before quickly brushing past Bon.

Before he could take another step, Rin stopped him, his hands outstretched to accept Amaimon. "Thanks for your help Bon!" He smiled, but the forced expression didn't reach his eyes. "I can take him from here."

"Thanks," he sighed, grateful he would no longer be responsible for the demon. The thought made his conscious itch, and he felt only slightly guilty for showing a lack of concern. But, as he shifted his weight to pass the barely conscious king to Rin, Amaimon whimpered and tightened his grip on his damp sweater. Bon hesitated, uncertain of what to do. He didn't want to stay with him as Yukio suggested—Bon wasn't exactly skilled at offering comfort to others, and he had _no idea_ how to talk to someone who just tried to kill himself—but it didn't seem like Amaimon would easily release him. Eventually, he reluctantly decided the best thing to do was to hold him in this awkward embrace until the doctor arrived. "Uh, it's alright—I got him. Why don't you go help Yukio clean up?"

He refused to move. "Amaimon will probably feel more comfortable with me, so…"

"I said I got him." Bon turned his body away from Rin as he reached out again, earning a vicious glare from the half-demon.

It vanished quickly, however, replaced by a forlorn—and almost guilty—frown. He seemed to be lost in thought for an extended moment, eyes cast down and fists clenched. Finally, he sighed heavily and nodded. "I'll bring him some dry clothes." With that, he turned and continued down the hall, his head bowed low and his tail dragging behind him. Bon watched him leave, noticing faint, blue flames decorating the tuft of his tail.


End file.
